At the Point
by rainypromise
Summary: Red Dragons, the Italian Mob, Spike, another part of her past, all are chasing Faye. What's a girl to do to handle it?
1. Default Chapter

A long December, and there's reason to believe

Maybe this year will be better than the last

I can't remember the last thing that you said as you were leavin'

Now the days go by so fast

Long December

Faye Valentine had itchy feet, not literally but metaphorically. She was getting restless with the cold planet that was Pluto. She had to leave. Now. The tingling sense between her shoulder blades encouraged her. People were starting to notice her, nothing surprising in that, she used to like it. But nowadays, getting noticed was something that she didn't want to do. She slipped by shadows and huddled around her coat. People were watching, following her. She had picked them out of the hurrying crowd in a matter of seconds, they didn't dress any different then anyone in the crowd. They all wore heavy colors, dark colors, but then again everyone wore heavy dark colors, there were some scatter of hopeful people who wore bright cheery coats to lighten things up, a few days ago she would probably do the same thing. Not today though. No, it wasn't the way they dress, it was the way they acted, the way they walked, the way their eyes watched everything around them carefully. There was something menacing, something forceful about them that even the hustling crowd gave them wide berth though they probably did it unconciously. Survival instinct is a wonderful thing. It was also the odd bulges and certain heaviness on the coats in certain areas that made her think one thing. Gun. Usually she would have no problem with people carrying guns. She was carrying one too, everybody carried in Pluto, but combined with the attitude she could bet everything she had that they were pro's. She didn't have the manpower nor the will to mess with them right now. She was going to leave. Someplace warm this time. It was time she got a tan.

Faye Valentine tried to fit in, but alas, a woman like her was not meant to fit in. Even in the cold, even in the crowd of people jostling and hurrying to be out of the cold. People, both men and women glanced at her, then look back for seconds. The cold air had made her pale skin seemed luminious, almost transparent. The red lipstick she wore to cheer her up glared upon her full lips like a neon sign. Her purple hair sighed behind her, it was longer then it used to be, reaching to her waist, she was too vain too cut it now. Her emerald eyes shone and glow on the pale surface of her face. Even the lumpy thick furry long coat, didn't hide the voluptous shape of her. Faye was a knock out two years ago and she had improved with age.

Like the romani gypsy clan that she had called herself, she had moved from planet to planet ever since she had left the Bebop. There were ways to make money anywhere, for a woman like her jobs were easy to get. And bounty heads were everywhere. She never go for the small ones anymore, she go for the big ones, and most of the time she got her man. Money was not a problem, and she made sure that Bebop had enough. Jet could sighed, ranted, raved and shouted at all he wanted, but she never came home. Jet had Ed to take care of him, and him to take care of her. Ein was there too. One big happy family. Knowing that they were together was enough for her. No need for her to be there. Especially since Jet wanted to 'talk'. Everytime Jet wanted to 'talk', it was always about one person and she didn't want to know. She had said her goodbyes, she had even shed tears, that was more than she had ever given to anyone. That she had even wanted to give anyone. He had her trust and she had even cared, but he tossed that back to her face, so she'd let him go. Let him die. She had made her peace with that. With him.

She slipped into her apartment. The men hadn't followed her, which was a good thing. Either she was good, or they were just stupid, she was betting on the first. She had little to pack, she had always lived out her suitcase. Easier that way. She would have to leave some things behind, like her pretty candles, some shoes, the warm thick coats. She was going somewhere warm, somewhere where she didn't need them. She sighed a little over the candles and the shoes but was glad to get rid of the coats. The place she had stayed was small but comfortable and well taken care of but was painfully bare like no one had ever lived there. She had stayed here for six months, longer than she had ever stayed anywhere but now it was time to leave. She striked a match, it caught fire and it glared bright in the darkness, she hadn't bother to flicked on the lights, the smell of sulfur and burning wood was exchanged by the smell of a burning ciggarete. Smoke danced its elusive seductive dance up to the ceiling. The red glare of the end of the ciggarete was oddly comforting in the dark. She had stopped smoking, but now and then she had a penchant for one. Like now. She blew out smoke towards the ceiling, watched it play around the shafts of light from the window. She waited a few seconds until the cigarette glow died in her hands then she stood up from the edge of the bed and picked up her suitcase. She left the cigarette butt on the ashtray and walked towards the door without even a backward glance. She had a thing about that, "when you leave, don't even think about looking back, if you do, you'll never leave." That was what she was told so long ago and she had took it to heart. She closed the door with a soft click, even that little sound was made louder in the empty room.

Click.


	2. How Things Are

They knocked his door carefully. Tentatively. They were bringing bad news. Normally, their leader handled bad news with an easy going grin and a laid back attitude. Not that he wouldn't get things done. But this type of bad news, they were lucky to get a few broken ribs for. So when the weird oranged hair kid that seemed to always hang around their office showed up they had almost dropped to their knees and gave thanks to God. Surely their leader was not going to kill them infront of the kid. He had a soft spot for the kid, he's going to be gentle on them. Atleast they hoped so.

" Come in. Ed, oy, don't play with that." The office of the leader of the Red Dragon syndicate was huge, magestic, oriental, with its red dragon symbols, etchings, heavy dark furniture, looming ceilings and red beams. The huge open windows overlooking the city like it was made out of toys. Their leader was sitting behind a heavy dark oak table, the weird kid everyone here called with the respective title of Miss Edward, which is weird in itself, was crouching on his table like a faithful puppy. There was a little smile on their leaders face but they weren't fooled. They hadn't been long working under him but when you have been working in this line of work, you know it wasn't the one who tried so hard to be menacing that is scary, it was the kind faces and the cheery attitudes that could kill you and sing while their at it. Their leader's name, even before he was made into their leader, his names was spoken in whispers and hush tones, nowadays it was even more whispered and hushed added a bit of fear and a respectful silence afterwards. It wasn't that he was unnessesarily cruel like their old leader, Vicious, he was just ruthless, tenacious and always gets the job done. Sometimes his methode was more of shoot first asked questions later, but it always gets them somewhere, besides, nowadays because of it people volunteered information rather than waited to be questioned and got shot in the ass in the process. Their leader was not the kind to let his people do his job, he used more of the hands on approach, or guns on approach, must be influenced by his older days and his past life of being a bounty hunter.

The mismatched brown eyes looked at them and they stopped by the door and waited for the sign to approach as protocal tells them to do. But their leader was never big on rules and protocal. He pushed his long langky build up the chair, the black embroidered long coat swished at his back. He was tall and a bit on the thin side, but they had never dared to even think that he was weak. After all the man had taken down almost half of the syndicate by his lonesome and blew up the place like hell then continued to kill Vicious.It was impressive as hell. The man was almost invisible.

Spike Speagal hadn't changed at all since that day where he had fallen down the steps full of wounds and empty of blood infront of the RED DRAGONS headquarters. His heart had stopped but then it started again. He had woken up in the care of the syndicate's very own hospital, surrounded by them and had already been anointed leader. His hair was still bushy and green, his build was still long and langky, his smirk was still there and his eyes was still those peculiar mismatched shade of browns. The first time he'd opened his eyes, he had asked for a cigarette. A cigarette was on his lips even now. The look on his eyes was intense when he waved them closer, and the looked harden when he noticed the stiff gait of his flunkies.

" She wasn't there?" His voice was casual but the look on his face wasn't. His eyes narrowed when the group infront of him straightened even more.

" No, sir. We had came minutes too late. She was already gone when we got there. Like before, she left some candles, shoes and some clothing, sir. Coats, sir." The group infront of Spike held their breath for a session of tongue lashing but it didn't come. Instead Spike had looked to the orange headed kid.

" You anything to do with it,Ed?"

" Meaning, Spike-person?" She blinked reddish brown eyes at him. She was still crouched on his table watching them with that unnerving unblinking eyes of hers.

" Did you tell her?" She tilted her head.

" No." Spike crossed his hands infront of his chest, the long coat brushed the table.

" You know where she is." She shook her head.

" No. Promised Faye-faye not to find out." He gave her an exasparated glance. She merely pursed her lips.

" Fine. She left her coats, she'll probably go to somewhere warm next time." He watched his minions watched him nervously from behind his cloud of smoke.

" Is that all?"

" Sir, she had also left this." One of the flunkies with the pale hair and blue eyes handed him a plastic evidence bag and inside it was a cigarette butt, a red stain smeared at the stain. The flunkie stepped forward and lifted it in his hands. Spike frowned and he stepped back.

" It's just..we, it was unusual for her to leave it behind. The room where she stayed was almost like the other rooms, but today she left this. I just thought you should know. Want to know, sir." He amended. Spike took the the piece of plastic.

" Do you have any idea why she left? Did she spot you?"

" I don't think so, sir." He glanced nervously at his group. " But there are other people who has been questioning about her, following her."

" Who?" The one word was sharp and harsh.

" We don't know, sir. We could not approach them without blowing our own cover."

" Then find out now. You have twenty four hours. Starting now."

" Yes, sir." He turned his back on them, a sign that they were dismissed.

" Ed, can you find out who they were?"

" For spike-person, yes." She smiled, she blinked her tawny eyes, jumped off the table and landed on the floor on all fours. Then crawl crab liked sideways to the door making funny noises all the time. Spike watched her with a reluctant smile on his face. But as soon as she disappeared behind the close door, his face changed. He blew out a long breathe and rubbed his face with the heels of his hands. Hard. He turned his chair towards the huge window behind his desk. The security had frowned on the placement of his desk, the window were a huge liability, they had wanted to stick him in a secure windowless office. He had snarled and the argument ended with that. If he had to be cooped out in a stupid fucking office, he would have a lot of space and as much opening as he can. They had argued about assasination attempts, and he had cocked out his own gun so that argument had ended at that also. Spike never found any used for excessive noise, he had found that action speaks more. And after he had found out about his reputation, he had found out that looking scary was enough. THE RED DRAGON was not mainly a mafia group anymore, it had mainstreamed itself. Trying to stretched its muscles into legal business. They were getting by. It was pretty ironic that he was the one to make it so. Spike stood and the black coat rustled, he grimaced and missed his yellow shirt horribly. Jet had never even entertained the thought of stepping his foot into THE RED DRAGONS community, but he had sneered at the costume everytime they communicated over the commlink.

Edward however was oblivious to the change of his status and his whereabouts, he was grateful for it. All that mattered to her was she had troops of techie's and a work force of computers of her own. Spike had to chuckled everytime he saw highly trained mafia's being harrased by a slip of a girl. It was one of his favorite past time. See the creme ala creme of the mafia's intelligence having their asses kick royally by the orange head kid.

As for the other part of their little group, she was still out there somewhere. He fingered the lipstick stained cigarette butt.

" Faye, you stubborn wench." She had haunted his dreams. Her usually mocking and sharp emerald eyes was made soft and blurry by tears like the day he had walked away. Her eyes had followed him that day, reminding him that someone would care. Someone would grieve. Her voice and the echoing sounds of her gun shots and the low pitch of the bullets hitting the empty corrider was the only thing he had heard clearly even when he was surrounded by gun fire and bombs. It teased him, mocked him, angered him to hear it, and when he had fell down on the stairs, when everything was dark, all he heard were the sound of tears hitting the floor of an empty room.

When he woke up, when he realized that he was alive, he had expected to hear her soft humming, but he didn't. When he finally can barked out an order for a comm-link and called Bebop, she was already gone. But Jet had known that he was alive, she did too. She had left after knowing that he was alive.

" Guess you wanted to washed your hands of me, huh?" He blew a cloud of smoke and watched it traveled upwards and changed shapes. Gliding smoothly in the air and found that the flowing movements of it reminded him of Faye. The way she moved, the way she fought, the way she was.

She had escaped him time and time again, everytime they pinpointed her location, she managed to evade them again and again. Just like..

" Smoke." He watched the way his hand went through the grayish smoke and fluttered playfully along his fingers. He finally caught himself on what he was thinking.

" Shit. Next time I'll be making poems about her looks." He shook her head. Woman, that had always been his trouble. Not that he was practically frisky, it had always been just one woman.

" But always the dangerous ones." He chuckled to himself.


	3. Faye Valentine

She tapped her fingers to the tune of the piano, the singer was pretty good, his voice was laidback and rich. It resonated through the pub, the sound cheerful and relaxed. She managed a smile. It was good to be in the sun again, good to not be wearing heavy coats. She was on Mars and Mars was on the peak of its summer. She knew that she wasn't suppose to be here where anyone could find her, but they would hesitate on her motive, suspicious on her choice of destinations. She would be safe for awhile. Atleast until she had a tan, then she would leave. It was a reckless move on her part but she was getting sick of being watched and followed all the time. She had realized that a lot of people are trying to reach her. Either it was the syndicate or someone else. Each of them canceling eachother out because they recognized eachother, neither wanting to blow eachothers cover. It was all fine for her. Heck, she was all for it. Less trouble for her. Now if they have to follow her around, she might as well enjoyed it, besides neither group seems to want any trouble, they were just watching, listening, waiting. For what she had no idea but as long as they were only watching she could relaxed, could even think of them as her own pack of body guards. She chuckled. She would be pissed if she was out on a bounty, but she was all good for now.

She tapped the bar to signal the bartender and she smiled at him and her little heart fluttered when he had almost dropped most of what he was trying to mixed when he looked at her. She knew she was looking her best. The red slinky dress was sleeveless and backless. The color was so rich that it showed off the color of her hair, the paleness of her skin. Her lips and fingernails were painted the same shade of red. Her hair streamed down her back and when she moved she gave glimpes of her back. The collar was modest however, a halter top that showed no cleavage what so ever, but she didn't need to show any. She was a knock out just as she was. She had missed the attention of men, and she was getting lots of it now. She ordered for a bloody mary and when she turned around on her seat she caught the eye of a man that immediately looked the other way. Correction, boy not man, he was still in his late teens, long and well muscled. And well trained, she had caught the shape of the gun under his coat, and the way he moved showed atleast one martial arts training. He was a pro, but young. The others around him was not, she caught his eye and she lifted her glass in a little salute. She smiled when his face flushed a painful red. His face was even redder when one of his collegues said something to him. Bet it was something scathing. She watched as one of them slowly nodded to her, she nodded back. He was tall, chinese looking, his hair was drawn in a pony tail, it was straight and black. There was no smile on his face, no light in his eyes. She took one look at him and had known in a matter of seconds that he was Syndicate, which one she didn't know. She was hoping it wasn't the one she was thinking. But not much luck on that.

He watched her as he took careful steps towards her while she watched his hands. In her line of work the eyes could always lie. It was the hands that killed. He moved slowly and precise, his hands cupped loosely at his side, the palms faced towards her showing he was unarmed and meaning no harm. She almost snorted. She breathed slowly and crossed her legs. She leaned her elbows on the bar. Her right fingers brushing her right thigh. The one where her gun was strapped on. If she needed it, she could draw it in a matter of seconds. He was coming nearer and nearer and she was starting to get nervous. He stopped at a respective distance and watched her silently with dark eyes. Faye jolted when she realized that he was watching her with curiosity, even with a bit of fascination. That made her want to frown but she held on to her impassive face. He stood a solid one meter from her and after a good steady eye contact, he took a step forward. Just one. He was treating her with respect, with caution. Either he knew who she was, which is likely, or he was told to do so, which is likely, too. So she merely waited for him to confirmed what she had figured out.

" Faye Valentine, I am Shin a member of the Red Dragon Syndicate. We are honored that you have come to one of our establishments. Frankie." The bartender glanced nervously at the man infront of her. " Whatever she has in on the house." Frankie nodded.

" We hope you enjoyed your stay and be willing to accept our leaders invitation later on tonight." She looked at him and sighed as she slid off the bar stool and smoothed her skirt over her legs, the dress slid and caressed her skin like an old lover. It was expensive, sexy and classy, just the way she wanted to looked tonight. He was still watching her. It was going to happen sooner or later, he knew it, she knew it. Everybody knew it. So who was she to delay the inevitable?

" No, I don't think so, but thanks for the free drinks." Faye smiled brightly and winked at him. Her seven inch stiletto heels clicked sharply on the cold marble floors, her hips swaying with the music and laughter in her voice.

She was Faye Valentine, thats who.


	4. Love in the Milkyway

She's a girl with many quirky ways

She can take you to another place

Where she explores you and adore you in her way

She won't give you time to hesitate

What she looks for is to fascinate

To unveil you and derail you

Come what may

She'll give you love, love

Love in the milkyway

She had bought a place in Budapest

And the clientele of her hostess

When she's smiling she's beguiling

So they say what she wants to

So they say what she wants to

She'll give you love, love in the milkyway.

Come what may

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Shin had known Julia, had known how Spike felt about her. He had been watching Faye Valentine for a couple of months now, has seen her in the flesh, up close and personal. And still he didn't know what Spike could possibly be interested in. She was not Julia, she wasn't even close. They were different as night and day. He had admitted that Faye Valentine was beautiful, admitted that she was really different than any other woman that he had ever seen, ever even met. He realize that she was attractive, he had even looked forward to those days where he was on watch. She was witty, smart, tough and really knows how to look out for herself. She doesn't flinched at doing what she had to do and that was a quality that he could admire.

Julia was ethereal, cool, sometimes she felt unreal, like she didn't belong in this world. Faye Valentine owned a quick laugh, a flirty mischeavous smile, a mind of her own, and had no thought for rules. She cheats, she steals and then went on her little merry way with a twitch of her hips and a come on smile. She had a penchant for expensive stuff, glitters and jewelry, she had class and elegant taste, she has so many faces, so many character that she slids in and out of in a snap of a finger.

If he listened to how Spike would talk about her, describe her, warned him about her, he would think that Spike didn't even like the woman, but it wasn't the words, it was the tone of voice, the quick twitch of his lips as he talked about their days when they were all together, the undertone in each word when he talked about her.

Faye Valentine was all fire and wit. He wasn't on watch that week, he had to deal business for Spike and hadn't been back at headquarters. He was checking out the security on the bar and was going to head for the casino and there she was, standing at the doorway of the bar, purple hair shone, emeralds the color of her eyes gleamed on her ears and neck, the red silk slithered across a skin so pale it looked translucent. Conversations stopped, heads swerved, throats choked, eyes goggled, jealous whispers hushed and then she smiled. A true, seductive come on of a smile, that made all the men in the room squirmed in their seats and then of course she moved and walked towards the bar.

Shin knew that he was staring but now he knew what Spike had meant when he said that Faye Valentine moved like a cat. She moved like there were muscles and joints where there wasn't suppose to be. Smooth, silky, seductive. Her high heels sounded so loud on the silent room as people watched her unashamedly and she knew that she was being watched. Smoke, she moved like smoke. He watched her slid over a stool and watched Frank, the bartender almost fell to his knees when she motion at him. If she looked at him a moment longer, Shin though that Frank would probably cried out for mercy. He had to take control of the situation, didn't want her to get suspicious as he watched several of the syndicate watched her silently. The group that was sent to watched her entered. He quickly motion for the piano player to play something. The first notes of the piano seemed to break whatever spell she had weaved around the room. He watched as Faye Valentine's emerald eyes sized up the room, its occupants, the exits, and felt a smile worked up to his face. Even now she was vigilant. He respected that. His eyes grazed her dress, didn't seem to hide anything, not the way it hugged her body like a second skin, but his instincts knew that she was armed. She was always armed. And that he also admire. A woman like her, looked like her and had a reputation like her has to know how to protect herself.

Shin raised a hand to stop one of the guards that supposed to watch her and glided towards a place further away from her.

" When had she arrived?"

" She passed through the gates this morning." The rookie answered, Nathaniel. He was young, very young, but he wasn't the one to talk, both he and his brother had joined the syndicate younger than he did. But, dammit, he looked like a girl with the blond hair and the violet eyes. He had been in undercover cause he was so good at looking harmless and pretty until he moved to covert protection. But the kid got skills, and he was good at what he does. But he was still young.

" Have you reported this?" He nodded. " Spike." His voice quivered, the boy has serious hero-complex issues, " had said to approach and offer her a dinner invitation. Later tonight." Shin nodded. " We'll wait for the right moment."

He didn't want to just approached her and let her be all defensive. He didn't want to make trouble at one of the RED DRAGON's legal establishments. That, and he wanted her to relax a bit more and he didn't want to ruin the night for her 'cause even though of the gleam and gloss of her tonight, Faye Valentine looked a bit..lost.

She was the one to acknowledge them when she spotted Nathaniel and toasted him. He almost smiled when he blushed a bright red color. Then his eyes met hers and there they hold. She tilted her head, weighing him up, trying to feel her in her head, figuring him out. He walked towards her, tried to look unthreatening, arms empty, and tried not make sudden moves. His eyes settled her hers but it hesitated when she crossed her legs, a smooth expanse of thigh slid out of the high slit of the dress. His heart gave a little leap at that, and when her fingers touched her thigh his mind shouted 'she has a freakin' weapon there'. So he kept his eyes on hers.

So this is Faye Valentine in the flesh, he thought when he finally got close enough, he had never gotten this close to her before. She was even more beautiful up close. No flaw, whatsoever, there were a few scars peeking through the top of her dress, but he wasn't one who though scars were flaws. Instead it was just one thing that made a woman interesting. It meant she went into a tough time and she had survive to tell it, and he knew that Faye had stories to tell.

Her voice was husky, smooth. It went straight from his ears to clutched painfully at his stomach. He blinked when she refused the offer, slid off the stool, winked her spectacular emerald eyes towards him and thanked him for the free drinks. And when she walked the length of the bar, her sharp looking heels clicked on the marble floors, her hair swinging giving him glimpes of her smooth back, her hips swaying, but with all that, it was the laughter in her voice that had him smiling as he watched her walked out of the bar.

Okay, now he understood why Spike had been so determined to find her. Faye Valentine had experience probably everything bad in life, she had jumped into them head long and unflinching, but she came out unjaded, untouched, not just alive. But _alive. _There were scars on her body as a reminder of death, but she still could laugh, still could play, still could enjoy the little things that life could offer. She doesn't just live her life But she enjoys it. That kind of quality, that kind of person is rare nowadays. Especially on the line of work that we do.

She was Spike's way of getting close to being _alive_ again.


	5. She's back

Spike shrugged out of his syndicate jacket. He threw it and left it to hang somewhere. The red dragon embroidered on the back of the black silk cloth snarled at him. Again, he mourned for his usual blue jacket and yellow shirt. He stood infront of the big windows and took a deep drag from his always there cigaratte and rolled his shoulder in an effort to relaxed himself. The memory of the earlier briefing with Shin helped a little as a chuckle slipped from his lips, he had made Shin told him in detail how she had looked, how she had reacted. Most of the team had guilty looks on their faces and stars in their eyes. It was all he needed to know that Faye had looked spectacular and was still the same Faye as she was two years ago. Until that moment he didn't realize how worried he was about that, how disappointed he would be if Faye had changed somewhat.

He spread his gaze around the city below him and can't help but think that Faye was somewhere in this city. Alive and well.

" Sir." He turned around at the sound and found Shin looking at him. " What is it?"

" We've managed to get you Mr. Black." Spike lifted an eyebrow and Shin blinked at the swift grin that was sent his way.

" Great. I'll take it here." Shin nodded and turned on his heel. As soon as Shin had closed the door, the comlink on his desk turned on to life. The grouchy face of Jet Black scowled back at him. Seeing the smile on Spike's face, Jet narrowed his eyes.

" What do you want?" Spike's grinned even wider. " Is that how you greet an old friend?"

" It is if the only thing that the old friend bring is trouble." his voice gruff but his eyes twinkled. " Where's Ed? Does she need picking up?" Ed and Ein merely stayed in the syndicate just for a few days, updating various security or techno stuffs, most of the time she was on her own somewhere or with Jet on the bebob. Spike waved off a dismissive hand.

" No, she's still busy." Something caught Spike's eyes in the monitor." Hey, Jet. Are you wearing an apron?" Jet snarled.

" You're not wearing your fancy uniform." he snapped back. When Spike didn't give any comeback Jet took a step back from the monitor.

" Okay, what is it? You're not usually this good tempered." Spike merely leaned back on his high back chair and grinned. Jet stared at him, his face changed as thoughts flashed through his mind. One idea stuck in his mind and he straightened.

" You didn't? Really? Faye? How did you find her?" Spike scratched his head.

" Actually, she found us. She's here?" Jet frowned.

" Here? What do you mean..? She's in Mars?" Jet looked so flabbergasted that Spike just had to laugh. " Well, that is just so like her."

" You got to hand it to her, always have to have the last word. The woman never wants to lose." Jet scoffed then grinned.

" The woman doesn't know how to lose." Spike smiled wryly.

" She doesn't, does she?" Jet lifted an eyebrow." You seemed a bit worried why?" Spike shrugged.

" Somethings bugging me. She has people following her."

" Your people right?" Spike shook his head. " Not just my people. Someone is after her. Or helping her."

" Helping her?"

" You know yourself how long my people had followed around, but everytime we got to her she vanished. Like she knew we were coming. Someone is helping her."

" Ed?" Spike waved a dismissive hand. " No, it's not her."

" A mole?" Spike scowled. He had considered that but he was vain enough to dismiss that particular idea, vain enough and that he didn't like to think that Faye was somehow involve with the syndicate. It's okay for him to be in one, or leading one, but not her.

" I don't think so. Besides, what's in it for him?" Jet raised a sardonic brow.

" Besides to see the leader of RED DRAGON running around chasing a girl, one that he doesn't even particularly like at that? And why do you think it's a he?" Spike ignored Jet's obvious glee at pointing out the fact that he was running around chasing a girl and it is true and anything he would say would only add to Jet's hilarity, anyway so he focused on the second question.

" Please, everytime Faye's in trouble. It always involves a guy or two." Jet grinned.

" True. That woman is magnet for trouble making men." Spike's lips quirked.

" You mean, like us?"


	6. Memories

You enter and close the door behind you

Now show me the world seen from the stars

If only the lights would dim a little

I'm weary of eyes upon my scars

"Here in My Room" Incubus

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Faye woke up with a start and looked around and sighed. She shifted and the water splashed towards the edge of the bathtub. The water had cool, the candles had guttered down and died and the sweet scent of gardenia flowers fluttered about in the room. She splashed water on her face and watched the drops of water slid down her hands in the dying light of the last candle. She watched it as the fire flickered in one last desperate heat, faded and died. The scent of something burning battled with the scent of gardenia and smoke made its way up to the ceiling. She shuddered and goosebumps appeared on her skin." Time to get out, then." Her voiced echoed through the bathroom, amused with the bathroom acoustics she had roused a few notes and sang a couple of songs with the entertainment center. Here in Mars, she had refused to go into hiding, everyone who was searching for her already knew she was already here so why bother? Instead she had stayed in the most high classed hotel around, they say it was new but it had been populer with the expensive crowd. She had gotten the best room for herself and the best service. She had been out shopping and had gotten her and all out treatment at Narcisst, the best body treatment beauty salon around. She felt so very pampered and expensive right now despite the slight annoyance at how her 'beauty technician' had gawked and sighed and stared at the scars on her stomach, and legs, and everywhere else. So she got scars, big deal. She has a lot of scars and not all of them visible to the naked eye.

She slid in a silk robe the color of her eyes and walked towards her room. The huge bed was made and covered with cream satin that matched the curtains and the the cloth braids that was looped all over the four poster of the bed. She smoothed her hand on one the curtains as she opened the french windows and stepped into the balcony. The hotel was not one of those glass monstrosity and robotic drones kind of hotels. It was a classic, old fashioned kind of hotels, with maids and butlers and bellboys, like the old days, she remembered them from the holidays her family used to go to. On the balcony were steel intricate chairs and tables for breakfast or meals outside. She stood for a moment at the balcony, the air was moist with the promise of rain, and took a moment to remember about the dream she just had, no, a memory.

She could still hear the strains of music and the feel of his hands around her. She smiled, it was one memory that she knew she would never forget, one memory that would always be hers and hers alone. She haven't thought about him for a long time, to be fair, it had been a long time. It was one of the few good things that happened to her after she had woken out of the cyrogenic sleep. She was alone, had been duped by the one person she thought she could trust, had no idea what was going on in this world she was in, she was in the wrong century for God sake! She only knew she had to make it and found out what had happen to her, to regain her memory again, to know who she was. One thing that she had never done through those tough times were hooking, and begging. Those two options were not a part of her nature. She had done con jobs, cards and playing the helpless girl just looking for a woolong or two.

She had never made the mistake of trusting anyone again. She had been beaten up, shot, stabbed, had taken it like a, well, man, but she had never let anyone use her in any way. She killed the first one that had ever tried. She had found that not knowing how to shoot a gun, or handle a knife was a sure way to die from it. So she had learned, and she had excelled. On that first year she had enough money to travel, a ship that she won in a card game, and could shoot anything that she wanted and hit it, twirl a knife in her hand without hurting herself and threw it to hit a card at a hundred meters. She was fast, she was suave and she was a survivor and she had learned that that was it takes to survive in this whole new world she was in. And one day, fate stepped in to help the lonely girl who was searching for a home.

Rain Alhasa, a smooth conned artist like herself that owned a dive in the worst part of town in Jupiter. He had laughed at her when she'd tried to con him, slapped her wrist when she had tried to cheat at his casino and then taught her the right way to do it. He was right and he was right about a lot of things.

He had took her under his wing and taught her all there was to know, when she asked why he wanted to, he merely smiled. He never did answered the question come to think of it. The days she was with him she had spent with suspicion, caution and downright hostility. If whenever she didn't come to him, he would smoke her out. Whenever she bared her teeth and snarled at him he just laughed at her. He always seemed to smile and found her amusing. Frustrated and confused, she gave in and came whenever he wanted to see her. He probably wasn't a few years older than she was, hm, she looked, but he seemed to have a lot of power around the neighborhood. Things never went romantically for them, more like, if she dared to say it, family. There were many things that she remembered from the time when they were together and most of them were good.


	7. Memories2

In her dream, she was taken back to those times, more precisely to one particular night. He sent her to work on the bar, singing as an act, or bartending. It was bartending that night, she was gathering up glasses and empty bottles when he pulled at her hand, turned her towards him and grinned at her.

" Care to dance?" She frowned. " I have to work, remember?" He scoffed and walked to the jukebox, it was one of the things that had attracted her to the bar. Some thing from near her time. He had a thing for old junk which is probably why had a thing for her but he probably didn't know that.

" Relax, I have the ear of the boss." Faye glanced at him and hid a smile. He picked out a song then reached out a hand towards her. She sighed and took it, telling herself he wouldn't leave her alone until she did.

" You have the most beautiful eyes." Faye narrowed her so called beautiful eyes. " Are you coming on to me?" He gave her a look that says: please. She didn't know whether to be glad or insulted.

" No, I'm just stating fact. I've seen green eyes before but not these kind of green." A few days before, she would've break his arm when he lifted a hand and slid her hair from her face. But Rain was just that kind of person that touches people. Nothing personal about it. His hand moved away from her face and slid down to her waist and he grinned.

" What?" He merely hummed the song. It was sweet, and slow and perfect for dancing. There were sexy trumpets and saxophone, the sound of drums and sassy piano. The singer's voice was a sweet smooth baritone that rubbed over your skin like velvet. He spun her around, twirled her with a zest and enthusiam that bordered on childlike that she just had to smile. Then the lyrics caught her attention.

_My funny valentine,_

_Sweet comic valentine_

_You make me smile with my heart_

_Your looks are laughable_

_Unphotographable_

_Yet you're my favorite work of art.._

He made a show of singing it and with every comment on the looks he made a great show of scrutinizing the part that was mention with a serious face. She couldn't help it.

She laughed. A true burst of laughter, a joyful, happy sound that had the workers poked out their heads out of the back and smile. They continued to twirl and danced around the old scrubbed floors of the bar, the lights down low and the mood mellow. She got into the mood and found out that she liked dancing, and she was pretty good at it, they moved well together, precise and comfortable with eachother. For Faye, that was a rarity, she had never felt safe again in a man's arms, in anyone's arms for that matter since Whitney and looked at how that ended. But for that one moment, she let herself be held, let herself be comforted, let herself be happy. Just for those few moments, just for that one night.

And that one night was all that she got.

The day after that she found the bar had been ransacked, destroyed and burned. And Rain was no where in sight. No trace, no body. He merely disappeared. So she stood on the ruins of the place that in her heart she had called home, said goodbye to the man that she had considered as family and turned away, even when the slow strains of the song that they had danced to was still playing in her mind.

_Is your figure less than greek_

_Is your mouth a little weak_

_When you open it to speak_

_Are you smart?_

_Don't change a hair for me_

_Not if you care for me_

_Stay little valentine, stay_

_Each day valentine's day, will be_


	8. Information

Spike rushed towards the intelligence room and searched for Edward. When he entered silence struck the room and several techie's paled and skidded to a stop. There was no reason why their leader should be in this room except if someone had done something wrong and he was here to punish. He looked around towards the room and blinked his eyes to get used to the lack of light. He winced when he caught the looks on a lot of the people their, they looked like they were about to bolt and scream bloody murder and/or faint, or just bow really, really low. They also looked very much like each other and probably never seen the light of day. Maybe he should've sent some word that he was coming.

" Spike-person." A brown thin hand motion towards him from the center of the room, Spike drew a breath of relief and picked his way carefully not that he actually needed to since they all fell away like cookie crumbs, shying away from him, scrambling towards the darks. Now he understood why Caro, his secretary always seemed reluctant whenever he sent him here. Usually he talked his way out of it. Caro was a bit of an eccentric, and that was one of the reason why Spike had liked him. Now he wished to that he had sent Caro here despite Ed's urgings. Ed had called him at his office and had given vague hints about what she had for him. She'd only mention that it was a package that had been delivered to the hotel where Faye was staying and addressed to her. Stolen it? Who had said about stealing? He merely took it without permission, besides, he owned the hotel so..he can do whatever he wanted. He fingered his collar when he entertained the thought of what Faye would do if she knew what he was doing. He had his people staying guard on her, and ordered that whatever packages, flowers, jewelry, whatever that that woman bought, had delivered or recieved it needed to be checked for bombs, for bugs for whatever that was not suppose to be there. So far he had only gotten the usual, he had several trepidations about having his men pawing her lingerie but he squashed it like a bug. Instead he sternly stared down any of his men before they were given their orders. They knew who was boss.

He reached Ed's side and stared at her.

" What is it?" He rubbed Ein's head in an absent gesture. Ed grinned.

" Faye is very happy."

" What do you mean? Did you tell her what we were doing?" Spike had an image of a deranged Faye cackling to herself while brushing up her gun, and sharping her knife. " Of course not. Spike-person told not to tell. Ed mean that she is very happy in this." She hold out a chip and gave it to him.

" You should give it to Faye-faye, maybe it will make her happy again." She hugged Ein to her. Ein whined. Both of them focused their eyes at him. Their very big honest brown eyes.

" Do you want to see Faye-Faye, Ed?" Ed's face brighten.

" Can I? I want to see Faye-Faye. Faye-Faye. Yeeeey." Spike patted himself on the back for distracting Ed from the chip on his hand, so she wouldn't make him feel guilty into doing it. Ed was not really the same Ed that she was, a little darkness had made its way into her, he had blamed himself, the world and everything in it. It was odd the way she had escaped from being influenced by the way of this broken world before, but he didn't question it, he merely wanted it to stop. It also bothered him that her eyes were starting to look very much like Faye's, they weren't the same shape, weren't even the same color. It was the expression in them. Lost, alone, betrayed. He wandered about what had happen with that thing with her father. He had even wandered whether he was one of the reason for that look in her eyes. He slipped the chip in his jacket pocket without Ed noticing, out of sight, out of mind, right? Right.

" Call Shin, tell him to drive you or better yet call Jet and tell him to come too." Ed eyes shone even brighter and she jumped even higher. He mantained the smile on his face until she was gone to call Shin. He grasp the chip in his pocket, turned and walked to the private elevator that immediately went up to his office, this time ignoring the scuttlings of the techie's.


	9. Oops

Disclaimer: Don't own Cowboy Bebop nor the song "Woman" by Maroon 5

Author's note: Heee, gomen ne. I totally forgot about the Disclaimer thingy, cause this is the very first fanfic that I have ever written. Pardon all the mistakes and stumbles of this humble writer wanna be.

Thank you for all your understanding and reviews.

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If I could bottle up the chills that you give me

I would keep them in a jar next to my bed.

And If I should ever draw a picture of a woman

It is you that would come flowing from my pen

Leavin your clothes on the floor, Making me walk out the door

And I still fail to understand what it is about this woman.

Woman by Maroon 5

Okay, Nathaniel was curious. He was fascinated and a bit doubtful about this woman that he have been told to keep an eye on for the better part of his time here in the Syndicate. Curious, because, who wouldn't? Their great leader has been searching this woman and didn't care how he did it, he had bullied, patronized, beat up, shot, even charmed various people for information about the woman. He had been determined to find her, apparently she had been even more determined to disappear. And truthfully anyone who had escaped the syndicate the way she had time and time again, deserves his undying respect respect. Everytime they got a clue on where she was, she disappeared, like she knew that we were coming. Like someone had told her. Of course Spike couldn't've search for her herself so a special group was dispatched. Nine of the best, including him, had been formed, and headed by none other than Spike's right hand, Shin himself. They had been surprise by that, even Shin himself seemed a bit surprise. He was a bit peeved that he had to babysit some woman that, from the way Spike-sama talked about her, he didn't even like that much. Even our number alone, nine people, was a bit much. So of course he was curious. So that was the only reason why he had looked at her, well okay, stared at her. It was just curiousity, a healthy one, he did not gawk at her like a lust struck teenager like Ani had said. Like Ani didn't gawk himself the minute he had laid eyes on her though to be fair she is worthy of a gawk or two. That night at the bar he would've killed to know what she had said to Shin that had made even SHIN smiled. He was curious, and curiousity had always been his weakness. But looking at her, even now he still didn't get it.

But she was a hell of looker alright. He bit his lips to swallow a laugh when a guy, watching her appear from the watery surface of the hotels gigantic swimming pool like Aphrodite herself, slipped and belly flopped into the pool. That gotta hurt. Meanwhile, she pushed herself up the edges of pool, her skin gleaming with sun tan oil and water. She smooth her hair away from her face and squeezed water from her waist length hair. She folded her feet under her and stood in an elegant movement, and he marveled the way the drops of water glinted sunlight and the way the mossy green bikini she wore tighten up on her, uhm, he shifted on his seat, when she lifted her arms and flipped her went hair to her back. The bikini was new, he checked it himself, and it made her eyes greener. It glinted from her exotic face. Faye Valentine, was not thin, she had never been thin it seems. She was curvy, and in all the right places. He smiled when she tucked her hair behind her ears, he had noticed that gesture after he had watched for a couple of days, it meant, she was calm, she was relax, it was all good. Since it was all good he laid back on the rattan chairs and crossed her ankles in front of him. He watched her smiled and twirled the mini umbrella on her drink and sipped her pink drink. He watched her dried herself with a towel but she didn't cover herself with one of the fluffy robes.

He was already on his feet and a hand was on his gun inside of his unbutton flowery shirt when her head had snapped sharply to her left, but he sat again when she saw the flash of brown and orange hair. The dog followed, yapping at her heels, and an old big grouchy looking guy with one gold robotic arm followed the dog. Jet Black, the only friend of Spike Speagal, he was tough, mean, always seemed like he had a bad day. Not today though. He was smiling and laughing like he had won a million woolang. Well, so would he if Faye Valentine was hugging him while wearing that bikini. She laughed when he lifted her to the air and seeing that the kid launched herself on the guys shoulders and the dog barked noisily, running around them. One big happy family.

Something bugged him though. Spike had been hunting this girl like the world would end if he didn't find her. But now that she's here, he never took the time to see her, call her, whatever. He gaped when the orange haired kid looked straight at him and waved. The old guy and Faye Valentine looked towards him and smiled and waved too. The problem is, he didn't like the way they were smiling.


	10. Drops of Jupiter

Now that she's back in that atmosphere

With drops of Jupiter in her hair

She acts like summer and walks like rain

Reminds me that there is time to change,

Since the return from her stay on the moon

She listens like spring and she talks like June,

Tell me, did you sail across the sun?

Did you make it to the Milky Way to see the lights all faded

and that heaven is overrated?

But, tell me, did you fall from a shooting star ?

One without a permanent scar

And did you miss me while you were looking for yourself out there ?

Drops of Jupiter by Train

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" He's syndicate." Jet spit out the word like it was a bad taste in his mouth. There was a big chance that it was.

" You say that like it's a bad thing." She sipped her pink cocktail. Ed and Ein had chased eachother to God knows where, so far there wasn't a scream or someone shouting so Faye and Jet settled down under the big umbrella and talk. Her eyes twinkled back at Jet when Jet merely scowled at her.

" Faye, what are you doing here?" he asked, his black eyes focused on Nathaniel who was currently sitting, looking like a glorified beach bum at the other side of the pool. Which meant they were pretty much far apart but not far enough for Jet's liking.

" Why shouldn't I?" Jet dragged his eyes back to hers. " Rather than the fact that this planet is crawling with syndicates?" Faye merely slid lower on her chair and blinked her eyes lazily, water clinging to her eyelashes making it clumped all together like black lace.

" Well, one of the syndicates is led by none other than our old friend Spike." Jet narrowed his eyes and frowned. He didn't like the casual way Faye said that, it came to his attention that Faye was at her most reckless, most stubborn self when she was calm.

" Let's cut to the chase here, Faye. He has been searching for you for a whole year, yet he never even got close to you, they were some close calls but they couldn't quite catch you, and don't think I won't grill you on that but first things first, then out of the blue you suddenly popped out here of all places. What kind of game are you playing?" Her lips curved into a beautific smile.

" I just felt like it." Jet stared. " You felt like it. You mean you felt like being surrounded by an army of syndicates who has been determined to haul your ass in?"

" Why, Jet. You make it sound like Spike means me harm." She fluttered her eyelashes. " Cut it out. You know I didn't mean that." The smile on her face disappeared.

" Then what the fuck does he want? People have been stalking me, not just ordinary guns, pro's. Some of them have syndicate stamped all over their foreheads. I didn't know which one until yesterday when some guy who said his name is Shin came up to me and said that he was a RED DRAGON. I've seen him and his team around, I've seen the kid that is watching us right now who is currently trying to read our lips and they're not the only one. I know I'm populer in the underground Jet, but I don't deserve this kind of attention. What the hell is happening, am I dragged into something that I should know about?" Jet looked at her. Considering.

" You don't know the other guys that weren't syndicate that was following you?" Faye gave him an angry glance.

" No, I don't. I haven't done anything but catch bounties. I even started to pay up my debts, I've been laying low, Jet." His eyes swept over her, from the top of her head to the tip of her toes, taking in the scars and war wounds. He felt something flinched inside of him when he saw the number of scars, its size and wandered what kind of shit she had done to get the bounties that she had. The bounties she had caught were twisted mother fuckers. If he had any say at all, Faye would never get near any of them. His voice softened.

" You shouldn't have sent any money for us, you know. I'm not that old. Yet." She managed a smile. " If you go out on a bounty, Ed would've been alone in the ship. You know how that would end. And you also know that going out on bounties is not really the most dependable of jobs, sometimes you get dragged to other shit or you meant things to go like this instead it goes the other way around so Ed would be alone most of the time... It wasn't really a big deal." She shrugged, embarrased. Jet touched her hand.

" Thank you, Faye." Faye smiled. Feeling a bit proud that Jet had approved. A bark broke the comfortable moment and a tumble of wet teenager and dog jumped on Faye. She winced but couldn't manage to hide the smile.

" Hm, the smell of wet dog. Really builds up an appetite. Food?" Ed and Ein burst into fit of barkings. " Well, at least you guys haven't change."

" You have no idea." Jet groaned and Faye sniggered. Jet watched as Faye lifted her finger and like magic a waiter appeared. After a fifteen minute order of pretty much of everything, he vanished hurriedly. Jet knew that part of the swift service was for Faye's looks since the waiter have been watching her the whole time, and the other part was the result of the 'order' from the owner of the hotel that she would be treated like royalty. He wondered if she knew about that particular information and if she didn't whether he should tell her. It was also interesting the way Ed hung her arm around Faye even when she was eating, like she was afraid that Faye would go away again. Faye seemed to noticed it also and lifted an eyebrow at him. He shrugged.

He leaned back on his chair and put on the shades that he brought. Mars was frickin' hot. The syndicate boy with the loud flowery shirt was still watching them. He commited his face to memory, if ever Spike dared to sic him on himself. Spike had tried to put guards on him but he called them back when he found out the Jet and Ed had used them for target practice. It was interesting though that Spike had sent Shin to her, send his right hand to guard a woman, even a woman such as Faye. Faye could used the help, not that she couldn't handle herself, she's still alive isn't she? But trouble just seems to find Faye at the oddest moments and when it does, it heats up pretty fast. But sending his second is something.

When Spike had called him two years ago asking for Faye, he looked pretty surprise that she had gone but he didn't say anything. He had sometimes asked whether she had contacted them, and Jet knew that Spike had been trying to find her but he never gave out the details, and he had never asked. Jet tried hard not to involve himself in Spike's matters nowadays since they were syndicate matters so it was interesting that Spike had her followed, even guarded like now. Faye laughed at Ein that had icecream dripping from his nose, Ed laughed, too. Well, at least Faye here was doing good for the kid. She had missed Faye when she'd left, sleeping on her bed, and touching her things, watching the video that she had left behind, that was when Spike started to ask her for technicals advice. He felt a bit uncomfortable having the kid running around the syndicate headquarters but, she was over the moon about it and it was better than having her moping about in Bebop. He wondered whether he should tell that to Faye, too. Speaking of Spike.

" Spike would like to see you." Faye paused on the process of inhaling a plate of spaghetti, the look that she sent him wasn't friendly. She swallowed the batch of spaghetti and sipped on a glass of water.

" Kid, close your ears." Ed closed her ears, her mouth full with chicken and stared wide eyed at Faye. Faye passed a thoughtful look at Ein." Ein, you too." The dog lied down and hid his face under his paws. Jet frowned at both of them.

" He wants to see me, does he? Gee, what do I have to say about that, oh yes. Tell him to go fuck himself." Jet smirked. " I told him you would say that but he said to tell you anyway. Atleast he asked, now that you're here he could just drag you..." he stopped when he saw the glittering look in her eyes.

" He _could_," Her face was cold, and her voice was even more cold. This was not the Faye that he was used to. Faye was all brash talk and heat. This kind of anger was icy cool, a kind of anger that he didn't recognize in Faye. " but if he even try to use his syndicate muscle, tell him it will only end with a lot of bodies loitering around that would've made his stunt two years ago looks like childs play."

Jet swallowed. He knew she meant every word that she'd just said which meant that there would be a lot of bodies lying around between Faye and Spike because Spike would try to do what he just said, just to push Faye's buttons. And somehow, whether he liked it or not, he was stuck in the middle. Between his two trigger happy comrades.

How the hell did it end up like this?


	11. Ultimatums

Don't you plead me your case, don't bother to explain

Don't even show me your face,

Cause it's a crying shame

Just go back to the rock from under which you came

Take the sorrow you gave and all the stakes you claim -- and don't forget the blame

Don't sleep to dream, Fiona Apple

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Faye stabbed the buttered potato viciously, but her words and expression was cool. Jet, Ed and Ein who was still covering their ears by the way, stared warily at the potato that was being murdered.

" I don't want to talk to him, I don't even want to talk about him so fuck off." The last two words were accompanied by a nasty flip of the wrist that you often see in knife fights. Jet sat back, leaning away from the fork and raised his two hands in mock surrender.

" Okay, okay. I got your point, in more ways than one. But" Jet tried to make himself as harmless as he could when Faye glared at him, and proceed with caution. He chose his words carefully. " Just think, Faye. You're in his territory now, hell, Spike owns pretty much half of Mars, and the other half has various deals with him. There is no way you can ignore him besides, if you don't want to talk to him what the hell are you doing here anyway?"

Faye bit the butchered potato with a sharp snap of teeth that made Jet winced. She hunched her shoulders and mumbled something intelligable. Jet frowned, he would've leaned closer if he wasn't afraid that Faye would bite him. " What?" She pouted at him.

" I don't know." Jet stared. " What do you mean you don't know?

" I don't know, okay." She stuffed the remaining potato into her mouth. May it rest in peace." I was sick of people following me around and not knowing why. I know most of them are syndicate so I headed here, this place is always crawling with syndicates. I figured I'd get some answers."

" But now you know that the syndicate part was THE RED DRAGON." She nodded. " Now I just needed to figure out the other people who has been following me around."

" Ed, knows." Ed chirped with her hands still on her ears, so much for that. Ein lifted his head and panted. Faye and Jet snapped their heads towards Ed so fast they almost go whiplash." What?"

" Spike-person asked me to find out." She devoured a chicken, reached for another and tilted her head when Faye gritted her teeth.

" Oh, did he? You still chummy with ol' Spike, then?" Jet grimaced when Ed cheerfully said, " I work with him."

" WHAT?" She stopped herself and closed her eyes. Jet thought she was probably counting to ten, he watched with interest when Faye breathed in and out and felt pretty proud of her, she had gone a long way. And he knew by years of experience that having a hot temper is not the way to handle a guy like Spike. Your anger would only rolled off of him. Spike was kinda like those stupid dolls that kept bouncing up after you punch them and manages to hit you back in the process, the harder you hit it the faster it stands up. It was damn annoying.

" How did this happen?" The question slid out of clenched teeth and those glittering green eyes focused on him. Oh joy. " She's not doing anything dangerous, she merely upgrades the security and the comps at intelligence. She had nothing to do and she was moping around, we had to give her something to do so she wouldn't get into any trouble." Jet defended himself.

" She already is in trouble." She hissed but shut her mouth when a couple passed their table, she lean nearer to Jet. " She entered the syndicate for God sake. THE RED DRAGON no less." Jet sighed.

" Look, Faye, the syndicate is not what it was before. Spike's ventured to legalize the business, mostly it's just doing, well bussiness now. Casino's..hotels." She scoffed.

" Jet, I'm not stupid, okay. You don't believe that any more than I do. If you did, then why did you bared your teeth to the teenage kid there just because he's syndicate?" she jerked her thumb to Nathaniel who straightened in his seat. When Jet lifted an eyebrow at him, he sat back almost sullenly. The damn kid hasn't yet dried behind the ears yet. When he look back to Faye, she was frowning like she had just thought of something and that thought wasn't a happy thought.

" Hotels. Do you mean..? This is his hotel, isn't it?" She let out a sound of frustration. " Oh, this is too much."

" Look, can't we talk about this another time? We need to figure out who's been following you. Now Ed, who was it?"

" The bodyguards of the Alligieri family."

" _The_ Alligieri Family? The Italian Mob? Shit, what the hell have you got yourself into Faye?" Faye looked as surprise as he was.

" I told you I have no idea. I don't know anyone in The Family." The Alligieri Family or more commonly known as The Family, was the Italian mob, syndicate, whatever, it was the head of all the Italian syndicate hence the name "The Family", it sounds like a very bad mafia movie but it isn't. It was one of the fastest rising mob besides THE RED DRAGON Syndicate and that was saying something.

" Has Poker Alice been assuming her role in the gambling world?" Faye shook his head, " I told you, I haven't done anything except bounty hunting." The Family was big on gambling and restaurants and night clubs. Oh, and drugs and weapons and spy technology. You know. The works. The both of them lapsed into silence.

" Well, atleast it was the bodyguards not the hitmen." Faye clinked the spoon she was holding on a plate.

" Thats what makes it even more weird. I can understand if somebody wanted to kill me, but why would anybody wanted to protect me?" Jet stared and thought how that one sentence summed up all their lives, well except Ed and Ein, that they would understand more if somebody wanted them killed than have them protected.


	12. Lessons Learn

And how high can you fly with broken wings?

Life's a journey not a destination

And I just can't tell just what tomorrow brings

You have to learn to crawl

Before you learn to walk

But I just couldn't listen to all that righteous talk

I was out on the street

Just tryin' to survive

Scratchin' to stay

Alive

"It's amazing" Aerosmith

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Spike stared at the chip that was on his massive work table, it just lied there, harmless, quiet. Menacing. Spike swore he could hear its mean little voice. Teasing him, mocking him. Laughing softly to itself. Spike glared at it but it still just sat there, like hours before. All through work and the better part of the day it had sat there niggling at the back of his mind, popping out in the most akward of moments. He had meant to pop it in one of his computers but somehow it just didn't feel right. He had been stalling, alright, he admitted that but

" In order to know what's inside, you insert the chip into a computer Spike." Spike raised his eyes and mumbled something rude. Shin's lips twitched.

" That's something new. I believe the chip is Ms. Faye Valentine's?" Spike sat back on his chair and watched as Shin walked nearer to his table. Shin raised an eyebrow. " I'm glad someone's getting something."

Shin blinked. " What do you mean?"

" You've grown more relax these couple of months, the thing which have inserted itself up your ass has disappeared." Spike sneered and mocked Shin's always calm and soothing tone of voice. Shin sat down on the chair across from him. Again the lip twitch, it was Shin's way of a casual smile, when something amused him.

" I guess watching Ms. Valentine has its own advantages." Spike snorted.

" Then I would like to know how she'd changed cause relax is not what I feel everytime I was around her. Irritated, annoyed, crangky. I could actually feel my brain starts cramping."

" That's probably because you're probably too much alike."

" No, we're not. She's stubborn, bitchy, greedy and a bit nuts."

" And you are dependable, patient, giving and sane?" Spike scowled at him. " Can the sarcasm, Shin. What do you want?" Shin straigtened, the soldier in him resurfaced.

" We have info on the group that had followed Ms. Valentine." Spike eyes sharpened.

" It's The Family." Spike frowned. " You mean the Aligierri's?" Shin nodded.

" Why?"

" So far we don't know. At the very least they haven't done anything threatening. They sent the bodyguards not the assasins."

" They're protecting her?" Shin nodded. " Do we know why?"

" No. Well, it explains why they always back off everytime they ran into one of us." THE RED DRAGON and The Family tried to not mess with eachothers bussiness since long ago, knowing if they ever did, it would go very, very bad.

" As long as she's in the hotel, she'll be fine. The team is on stand by if anything happens." Spike looked thoughtful then sighed.

" You better visit her again, and asked why she is followed by The Family. And she goes nowhere without a team around, if she recognize one of you and tries to run around you guys, catch her and tie her up in her room at the hotel if you have too."

" Actually, Mr. Black had spoken to Nathaniel and told him to convey a message to you."

" Jet talked to Nathaniel? How did that happen?" Shin sighed.

" He was on watch that day when Miss Ed and Mr. Black visited Ms. Valentine. She pointed him out to Mr. Black and Ms. Valentine." Spike winced. He should've thought about that.

" How did that go?"

" Mr. Black was hostile but Ms. Valentine merely seemed amused. It seems that she had made him a while ago."

" She would." Spike grumbled." What did Jet say?"

" Mr. Black reluctantly requested Nathaniel to be her everyday guard." A beep interrupted them. Spike made an impatient sound, he pressed a button on the com link.

" What is it, Caro?"

" Nathaniel is here, Spike." Spike looked at Shin. " I asked him up so you could hear yourself what Mr. Black had said."

" Let him in." The both of them waited for the knock on the door and the slow opening of the doors. Nathaniel entered, in all his syndicate glory. The flowery bright shirt had changed to a black long uniform suit with red pipings at the edges. It was the standard uniform of THE RED DRAGONS. He stood a few meters from Spike's table as dictated by protocal waiting for the signal to move closer. Spike waved a hand.

" What did Jet say to you?" Spike sat back and scrutinized the person standing infront of him. _Shit, this kid's young. _Not that he wasn't young when he entered the syndicate, but atleast he didn't have that shine and a bounce in his step like this kid did. A couple of years from now, that shine would fade and the bounce would disappear.

" He asked me to stay as FaMs. Valentine's everyday guard, sir." He amended when Spike had lifted an eyebrow at him calling Faye 'Faye'.

" And?"

" He also told me that the people that have been following her is The Family's body guards," Spike nodded," and that Ms.Valentine had said that she has no idea why they were following her." Nathaniel squashed the urge to squirm when Spike stared at him.

" Is that all?"

" Yes, sir, though he did really seemed very reluctant to relay the information." Spike smiled his crooked smile. " I bet he was. Mr. Black doesn't very much like us, Nathaniel." Nathaniel frowned.

" Yet, he is willing to ask for help." Spike grinned.

" But he didn't ask for help. He was helping us." Spike tsk-ed at the confusion on both Shin's face and Nathaniel. " It seems that the whole year you have chased after Faye did not make you guys understand her more." He sighed." Faye does not respond well to rules and control. She will follow a rule if she felt like it or if she think it was right, the same goes for control, she will allow herself to get controlled if she is the one who is doing the controlling." Spike saw in their faces that the both of them were lost. He didn't blame them.

" It's like this. Jet saw you and knew that you're good. Atleast good enough that you could help her if anything happens, good enough not to drag her down with you in a fight. He knew that you are loyal, that you are young enough that you would not even dream of disappointing me so you would put your life second to hers. He also knew that even though you are good, she is better and that she could still kick your ass whenever she needed too or wanted too, or whenever she just felt like it. Hence we_ control_ her by giving _her _the control over _us_." Shin tilted his head.

" I can actually understand that. It seems twisted but it could actually work."

" Jet has spend a lot of time with Edward and Faye, I could only imagine what he had learn. He is master. I am slave." Spike chuckled, Shin did the lip twitch thing. Nathaniel frowned.

" What is it Nathaniel? Didn't you understand?" Spike's mismatched eyes narrowed." Please tell me you're not going to make me do anologies."

" No, sir. I understand. It's just. Do you really think she's that good?" Spike exchanged a look with Shin. _Ah, the delusion of the young. _

" It wasn't a strike to your ego, kid." He let out a long breath." You're still young, don't really understand the wiles of the female spieces yet and what they would do to survive. Listen to me kid. You _never ever_ underestimate a woman. They are not weak, they are merely physically weak_er_ than us, we know that, they know that. So, in order to survive, they know that if they actually _do_ start something, they will make damn sure that they could finish it. If you fight with a woman, she wouldn't just wound you, she would kill you, if possible with one shot to the heart and with the first strike. If they have time to decapitate you and then cut out your heart, they would, just to make sure you wouldn't show up, out from nowhere and bite them in the ass later on. They have a higher capacity for pain then us mortal men, that's why they're the one who gets pregnant and give birth. That is also why for thousands and thousands of years men have spent their time kicking women to the ground. I would rather face an army of syndicates, which I have, than to face a wrath of a woman. Hell hath no fury and all that. Underestimating a woman is a painful way to die, kid. Remember that." Nathaniel nodded with wide eyes. Spike shrugged.

" And of course Faye _is_ that good. Take the thought of how good she is in that head of yours and multiply it by a hundred. That's pretty much how good she is." He thought about it and added as an afterthought." Roughly." Nathaniel's eyes widen even more, he looked like he swallowed an elephant, Spike swallowed a laugh. Nathaniel nodded.

" I thought so, sir. She looked like she had seen much action. I saw the scars." At the mention of that Spike's eyes darken. Scars, she had scars now. If it had made Nathaniel thought about it, then it must be pretty ugly scars. He glanced at Shin who nodded.

" That's enough for now, Nathaniel. You can go, you are going to be Faye's everyday guard. I'm counting on you." Nathaniel stood taller hearing that, Spike shook his head. _He's much too young. _Nathaniel started to turned to go but hesitated.

" What is it, Nathaniel?" It was Shin that asked.

" She said something that had me wondering, sir." Spike looked at him." Now hearing what you had said about her, it just made me wonder more."

" What did she say?"

" She said, ' I can understand if somebody wanted to kill me but why would anybody want to protect me?', it just made me wonder how her life was before we followed her around."

Shin nodded in dismissal. When the door closed, Spike sat back and glared at him.

" Scars. Why didn't you tell me?" He picked his words carefully.

" I thought it was old scars and you already knew of them."

" Bullshit. Why didn't you tell me she has frickin' scars that even a syndicate would gawk at?"

" Because I knew you would be like this." Spike let out a low frustrated sound.

" And the guilt just keeps on rolling."

" Don't flatter yourself, Spike." Spike blinked at Shin who never in his whole life never said a negative word to him ever. Seemed Faye rubbed off on him much more than he let on. " The scars were there because of what she did in order to survive, not because she wanted to kill herself because of you." Spike shifted in his seat." That wasn't what I meant."

" Yes, you did and by thinking like that you're undermining what she is." Spike gave Shin a long thoughtful look.

" You sound almost protective, Shin."

" I am one of her guards." Their eyes met unblinking, Spike's face was bland.

" You should remember that." Shin's face harden at the implied threat.

" Why Spike, you almost sound like you're jealous." He raised a hand before Spike blow up.

Shin sighed. " I am sorry, that was uncalled for. I understand your fascination towards her. I find her fascinating, too. Irespect her." They exchanged a look and after a minute Spike nodded.

" I assume you want all her ex bounties to be..guided?"

" If guided means to tell them to leave her the fuck alone if they ever got themselves out of whatever hell she sent them then, yeah, I want them guided. Forcefully if need be." Shin's eyes lit up. " Glad too."

" I never knew you to be so blood thirsty, Shin." Shin blinked, a careful sweep of eyelashes.

" As I said, I like her and I respected her." Spike burrowed himself in his chair, clasped his hands on his stomach and stretched his longs legs infront of him, ankles crossed. " No, you said, you find her fascinating and that you respect her." Shin shrugged.

" Okay, so I like her too." Spike looked at him. Considered.

" Don't worry, Spike. I would never fight you for her affections."

" I never said I want heraffections." He frowned at the word. " True."

" Is there anything else that you didn't tell me?" Shin stood up. " In response to Ms.Valentine's refusal to meet you " Spike looked down at that, " Mr. Black said that all you needed to do was round up a few syndicates and drag her to him, she replied and I quote, ' if he even tries to use his syndicate muscle, tell him it will only end with a lot of bodies loitering around that would've made his stunt two years ago look like childs play.', end quote." Spike merely scratched his thick bushy green hair.

" Sounds like her. So that plan is out then." Shin wore a reproachful air.

" I expected you thought of something better than that."

" Yeah, well."

Shin sighed. Spike suddenly snorted with laughter.

" You'd think that the kid Nathaniel would be brave enought to looked at Faye straight in the eyes again?"

" That little bit about the woman thing was a bit mean, Spike."

" Hey, it's true."

" It is, but you should've given him a few years to grow until you tell him about the whole cruel world." Spike merely grinned. " Better now than later."

Shin sighed.

" He probably wouldn't risk it, as she might think of it as a challenge." His lips quirked.

The both of them lapsed into silence where they tried to imagine Nathaniel at Faye's mercy.

Spike laughed and Shin smiled.


	13. Some Nights

You walked in

Just like smoke

With a little come on, come on, come on

In your walk

Well, come on

I've been waitin'

Afghan Whigs - 66

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------" Well, I used to resent this baby sitting job, but man I'm lovin' it now." Sean chortled as they opened the door to their room. He opened the buttons of his tuxedo, flashing the shoulder holster. His copper red hair was looked almost alive over his black tux, his yellow kitty eyes crinkled with laughter. He waved his way around the room easily even though he hadn't turned on the lights yet. He tossed his jacket on one of the sofa's and slumped gleefuly on the loveseat.

" Faye is never boring, I give her that." Tony, a man with black hair with blue hightlights and tanned skin chuckled. " Lights on." All lamps in the room glowed brightly after the order. He entered the living room with an elegant gliding movement. He too had opened his jacket, but instead he hung it carefully on the coat hangers. His gun on his shoulder holster gleamed. They had taken to call Faye 'Faye' after a couple of months watching her. It was weird calling someone so formally when you already know all their weird habits and their preference in liquior.

" Hey, Tristan, did you see the way the bastard paled and seemed to shrink under her stare?" Casey howled with laughter. Tristan was a tall man with platinum hair and pale blue eyes. But when he smiled it warmed his cold looks. He grinned.

" Which bastard? The guy who had his nose broken or this bastard right here?" He slapped Horatio on the back, his blond golden long hair fluttered to his face at the force of it. His blue eyes sulky.

" You would too if you were that close to her." he said petulantly.

" Hell, I would if she looked at me like that. I thought she was going to deck him." Casey laughed.

Nathaniel was the last one to enter the room. His face had the remaining traces of a smile.

" I thought she was going to shoot his ass." he said as he opened the mini bar and opened a bottle of mineral water. " He earned it too." Casey gave a crooked smile.

" I can't believe he even dared to grope her, I mean that guy has a serious death wish. Can't he _see_?" Tony, Tristan and Nathaniel mumbled an agreement.

The thing that the poor unfortunate soul should have seen was that Faye was not in a good mood that night. She had on a killer dress, silky black that it bounced off the light, it was those kind of dresses that you merely slip into, and that clung to every curve of your body. It started from her breast, to her ankles. They have no idea how she could have move if they hadn't seen the slit on both sides of her legs that came up to her thigh. Everytime she walked, she flashed a long line of a smooth leg and a stilleto 7 inch heels with velvet ribbons that she tied half way up her calfs in a criss cross fashion. A diamond bracelet circled her left arm. The black dress emphasized her curvy shaped, her translucent skin, the glittering green of her eyes and the strands of purple hair that like last night she let it hung loose down to her waist. Her face was made up with artful makeup. The make up focused on her eyes, it was heavily lined and darkened. Her eyes was the first thing you notice when you look at her face. Her lips were smeared with blood red lipstick. Some woman magic made it looked moist, soft and incredibly tasty, as if you could never get enough once you got a taste. Her looks was one of the reason people started to stop everytime they saw her, one of those reason was the strange light in her eyes, the sharpness of her smile, the sway in her walk.

She entered the casino, well, more like swaggered into the casino, larger then life and twice as bold. The minute everybody stopped and stared open mouthed at her, she smiled. It wasn't really a pleasant smile but it was captivating. It was because of that smile, most people gave her wide berth in the casino. She was also cloaked with a dangerous aura that said she was so ready to kick someone's ass tonight. But of course some were just blind to it. Like the guy they were talking about.

Faye was sitting minding her own business, her mood foul after her talk with Jet, on the black jack table when a man, with slinky hair and a sleazy atittude approached her. She merely stared when he smiled, implying that she wasn't interested. Usually this worked, but the man was persistant. He sat beside her, yapping her ear off talking about things that her bad tempered brain barely registered. The crowd around them was uneasy, so was the people around her, including Horatio who was playing beside her. He shook his head at the man over Faye's head and glared at him, but it was all to no use since the man wasn't looking at him, he was looking at her impressive cleavage. Horatio could swore he heard Faye growled, he made a signal to Tristan who was near one of the security guards, but she had already stood up and stepped away from the chair she just sat on, but the man, didn't get that she wasn't interested, leered at her and to Horatio's chagrin and the crowds dismay, lifted a hand and slapped it lightly on Faye's ass.

There was a moment of silence.

Horatio slid lower on his seat and cringed. The man merely grinned. Faye stood there in silence, and whatever the expression she wore, it made the crowd that was standing infront of her huddled together. A couple of them even looked like they wanted to put their fist unto their eyes and bawl. Horatio's eyes went big when the man, lifted back his hand and he jumped and tried to stop him. He didn't want to explain to his leader why he had let Faye shoot a man in one of their casino's.

But even as he started to stand up, Faye had turned and caught the man's hand, twisted him and bashed his head on the table. Blood squirted from his nose. The man swore and held on to his nose gingerly. He said something along the lines of 'you broke my nose'. Horatio snickered and glanced at his team in the crowd. Tristan was holding on to a security by the collar and whispered something in his ear. Nathaniel was grinning, sipping on champagne in one of the balconies above them. Tony smiled, a brow crooked, leaning on the nearest red beam of the room. Casey stood in the gather of crowds near them, eyes bright with laughter.

The man was swearing the air blue, he raised his eyes to her and the look in her eyes shut him up. She leaned down and pushed his face near his.

" Get the fuck out of my face." He was clearly stupid 'cause he bristled but before he could say anything he was picked up by the security and dragged away despite his protests and accusations. The crowd spread after they got a look at Faye standing there with a cool look in her eyes but Horatio had no such luck. She rounded at him and pinned him with a stare.

" Spike sent you." It wasn't a question. He nodded, carefully making himself looked harmless and inoffensive. He had been one of the team that had watched Faye through the years, well, when they actually did found her, he had seen her cracked ribs and dislocated jaws when she was in this kind of mood. He slouched further in his seat when he realized that his leader had pretty much the same look in his eyes whenever he was looking for a fight, which he rarely got cause who the hell would've wanted to fight the leader of THE RED DRAGON, which made him even more pissy until Shin would be free to have a bout of fighting with him at the gym. Horatio nodded, afraid that the sound of his voice would somehow offend her. He was playing it safe for once. He didn't even dare to blink. It was those matter of seconds that was crucial to save your life. He had a vision of him sprawled helpless and knocked out unconcious if not half dead on the casino floor.

He started to sweat and his eyes started to water but it would not do to have her think he was crying. He took the risk to blink and she didn't knock him out. She merely had an interested look in her eyes.

" The man leaning on the beam near us, the one who sent the security on us, the pretty one with the violet eyes. They're with you." Again, it wasn't a question and he nodded. Again. She narrowed her eyes, he saw that her eyes were just green, no grey, no brown, no speck of gold. Just green.

" Shin is one of you, too." He nodded again. He counted the seconds that tick by.

Then out of the blue, she smiled.

The shroud of darkness that she had wore just disappeared with the smile, her eyes brightened, her smile sweet.

" Well, see you around then." He blinked and she had turned around and walked across the casino, weaved her way towards the tables with a bounce in her step. Seeing that didn't make him feel better.

" I'll tell you, she's planning something." Horatio raised his long legs on the coffee table, trying to relax.

Tristan shrugged." We can't do anything about it."

Sean opened the three top buttons of his white shirt and folded the sleeves half way up to the elbow. " She knows us now. Well, some of us. It'll make it easier for her to avoid us."

" Spike said if she tried, we could snatch her up and tie her up in her room." Nathaniel said, well more a mumble. The others winced.

" Hell, he wants us to commit suicide? I didn't volunteer for that." Tony grimaced.

" We didn't volunteer for anything." Casey stopped in the process of opening a bottle of beer. " Come to think of it, why do you think Spike chose us?" The others looked at him.

" I mean, it's obvious that Faye means something for him. So why us? We're generally still new. The only one who had more than ten years under his belt is Shin. And he's like the top dog and one of the old crowds." The others looked at each other and shifted their feets. " We're pretty much the best, yeah. But we don't have that much experience." He was a bit uneasy with admitting it. A guys ego and all. Nathaniel eyed everybody carefully.

" I think I may have an answer to that."

" You do?" Casey asked. Nathaniel leaned on the farthest wall from them and repeated what Spike had told him.

" So basically we were chosen 'cause we're good, but not good enough to be a threat to her?" Nathaniel gave that very guylike shrug that said everything and nothing. They pondered on that.

" I can live with that." Tony chirped and the others agreed.

" You guys can." Nathaniel said grumpily. Tristan lifted an eyebrow and he told them about what Jet wanted him to do.

" Personally, I just think that he wants to make sure he knows who he could shoot at if something happens to Faye." Horatio slapped him on his back.

" Good luck to you, man. I've been at the end of that guys gun. He's good with it." Sean snickered. Horatio and Casey was one of those unfortunate ones that were used as target practice by Jet and Ed when they had the bad luck to be chosen by Spike to keep an eye on them.

Overall the mood in the room was light and humorous, they were just kicking back and relaxing. Casey and Sean was discussing and practising something they saw Faye had done with a knife when a low beep destroyed the atmosphere. They tensed.

It was the alarm that they wired to Faye's door, it meant that she had opened the door. A more rapid high sounded alarm would alert them if someone broke into her room. They stayed in a room beside hers, the alarm ended as soon as it started which meant she had merely gone out. They shrugged into their jackets when they heard their own doorbell in quick cheerful burst of sounds. They looked at each other and each of them took out their guns and positioned themselves to ambush. Sean hid his gun behind him when he peeked out of the hole in the door. What he saw made him gaped in shock and whipped his head so fast towards his team that he almost staggered.

" What? Who is it?" Horatio whispered. He opened his mouth to speak but the person behind the door beat him to it.

" Don't shoot boys, I bought provisions." All of them stood there, their guns lowered to their sides and their eyes wide.

None of them would mistake the coy, mirthful, sexy voice for someone else's.

It was none other then Ms. Faye Valentine herself.


	14. Dancing Queen

I must be afraid

but I'm drawn to the dark

I don't know exactly

where the gravity starts

somewhere behind

the black of your eyes my will dies.

I need you to want me

I need all you can spare

slip in beside me

and follow me there

somewhere beneath

all my layers of skin

you creep in.

Don't make me ask

but don't let me go

if you're afraid of this thing

don't let it show

if you die loving me

you'll slide so easily

underneath my skin.

Underneath my skin

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

" Shit. What should we do?" Sean has a knack of asking the obvious. Horatio sighed and holstered his gun.

" What else could we do? Weinvite her in." The others followed his lead and holstered their own guns. Horatio jerked his head to Sean and stepped to the door." Let me open it. At least she'd already talked to me." Sean gladly stepped behind him.

" Hey, it's your death." Casey slapped a hand at the side of Sean's head. " Ow." The others glared at him. What he said wasn't wrong, all of them had thought of it, but it was something they didn't want to acknowledge. Horatio took a deep breath and had his hand on the cool steel of the doorknob. He jerked the door open.

And sure enough, it was Faye Valentine in all her finery smiling at them from the doorway. She was wearing a peeka boo lacey boob tube that ended just beneath her breast and a short leather skirt. The scars on her stomach and the one at her thigh stood harshly with all that black around it, usually you could hardly see it. A long leather coat that came down to her thighs and high heeled black leather boots that came up to her just below her knees. It looked uncomfortable to wear all that leather, but the leather she had on looked as soft as butter. Horatio would bet his paycheck that they were real. Besides, although the day is hot, here in Mars, the nights were cold. On her two hands were bottles of Midnight Mars, the most expensive whiskey that you could get.

" Hey, guys. I come in peace. I would say lead me to your leader but I don't give a fuck about your leader so, here." She pushed the bottles on Horatio's hand. They stared at her. She walked past him, the guys gave way, didn't want to give her any ammunition then she already had. She walked towards the living room, looking around, peeking at the stuffs on the tables and drawers. Whistled at their stack of guns and ammo then fingered a book that Tony had brought. She open the window and peered down, checking the view. They all huddled on the doorway, easier to get away if she went all ballistic on them. Tristan leaned to Casey, their eyes following her tour of their room. " I don't know what drug she's on but I want it." he whispered through the corner of his mouth,Casey swallowed a laugh and it disappeared into a cough when she suddenly turn and looked at them. They tensed.

She gave them a wide smile. They tensed even more.

" Don't worry, boys. If I wanted to kill you, I would've told you already." They only stared at her more. She grinned. " Just kidding."

" About what? Killing us or telling us about it?" Sean asked under his breath. Horatio elbowed him but he was thinking of the same thing.

" You probably wondered why I'm here." Nathaniel wanted to say, 'well duh', but he held his tongue. She sat on the loveseat and crossed her legs, it wasn't possible but the skirt scooted up some more but no one commented on it. She frowned at them and gestured them in.

" Guys, I'm not gonna kick you out of your own room. Come closer." There was impatience in her voice so they moved towards her in careful steps.

" You, pour me a glass, will you? Thanks." She said to Horatio and settled herself more comfortable on the seat, then stood up and took off her leather jacket. They stared at the guns she had on the double shoulder holster, they hardly even noticed she was wearing one under the jacket. It looked like it was custom made. She looked around to stash it somewhere but Tony stepped closer to her.

" Let me, Ms. Valentine." She beamed at Tony like he was her prized student. " Why, thank you..." Tony resisted the urge to bow and she handed him the leather coat. He hung it beside his jacket.

" I'm Tony, mam." Casey sniggered and mouthed 'mam' at Tony from behind Faye. Tom glared at him.

" Don't snicker. It's impolite." She said without turning to Casey, he shut up pretty quickly. She smiled at Tony. " Thank you, Tony. Call me Faye, please."

Tony gave her a careful smile. She turned to Casey and lifted an eyebrow.

" What's your name, smart ass?" Tony smiled for real this time. " Casey, mam." She asked for each and one of their names as she sat down. She reached for the glass Horatio handed out to her without even looking at it. She let Tony sit by her. She gave a crooked smile at Nathaniel.

" I've been seeing a lot of you." Nathaniel nodded." I'm Nathaniel. Spike had appointed me your everyday guard. Jet too." He added when the smile on her face dimmed. She smirked hearing Jet's name. Her eyes went wickedly mischievous.

" Probably wanted to put a face on a person he can blame." Nathaniel smiled warily." Figured as much." She laughed. They felt their lips quirked into a smile. It was surprisingly easy.

" Anyway, I'm going out, since you'll probably follow me might as well we go together." They exchanged glances.

" Could we ask about our destination?" Faye knocked back her whiskey expertly." I'll tell you on the way. You guys gotta car?" They nodded.

" You guys brought your syndicate uniform?" They blinked and looked at her wearily." I just want it to look like I got myself body guards so I don't have to shoot some stupid smuck when he made a pass at me. What better body guards then the syndicate? I just want a good bluff. I want to meet some friends in the darker side of Mars. I won't do anything that would soil the syndicate's reputation." She added with a bitter tone. They guys looked at eachother. Horatio shrugged. The fact that she would bother to explain herself was enough for him.

" We'll change if you would wait." She smiled at Horatio and sat back on the couch. " Take your time."

She whistled when they appeared out of the bed room where they stashed all their gear and clothes. She sighed.

" You're such a good looking bunch." There was just something about the way she looked at them that they even preened a little at the compliment.

" Well, now. Lets go." She let Horatio helped her into her leather jacket and smiled when she did a very female thing and checked her reflection on the door of the coats cabinet near the door. She caught their eyes on the mirror.

" What? I'm a girl." They hid a smile at the indignation in her voice. " Just because I have a bigger gun then you guys doesn't mean I can't be female." She checked her make up and flipped her hair.

" Yes, mam." they mumbled. She stood infront of the door, her hand on the handle." Call me Faye. Well, lets get this show on the road."

They stomped their path towards the big ass private elevator that opened directly towards the penthouse. When it opened towards the lobby, people stared at the group when the trooped out of the elevator. Horatio got out first and cleared the way for Faye and when Faye got out he took her side and the others made a half circle around her. Everybody stared at the beautiful woman in the black leather and the men in their black syndicate uniform, and their combat boots. The concierge hurried to them and said that they had prepared the limo for them.

" I called down when we were changing." Nathaniel, that was positioned on her left side answered her look. Horatio nodded at the concierge and took the key that he was handing out. They started walking as a group with people avoiding them.

" Initiative. I like that in a man." she smiled. Nathaniel smiled back.

He had also called Shin and Shin forwarded his call to Spike. Spike gritted his teeth but allowed them to escort her since he had no choice anyway. He was glad for that. He didn't want to really tie Faye up in her room. And get shot in the process.

Sean was driving and Casey was in front with him. Horatio, Tony and Nathaniel got to sit with her. She sighed when she sat back on the cushy seats.

" I could get use to this. We're going to Magdelene." She could actually feel them cringe. She smiled.

" Whats the matter guys? Never been to a brothel before?" Her smiled was even wider when she saw Nathaniel shifted uneasily. Magdelene was a surprisingly upscale female budoir in a not really upscale part of town. It wasn't merely a place for sexual entertainment, it also got its own night clubs and strip joints and casino's. But mainly it was the strip joint and the 'companions' that drew in the customers. Very rich and influential customers.

" Uh, Faye. May I ask why we are going to a" Tony hesitated.

" Whore house?" She laughed when Tony frowned at her. " Aw, come on. Guys are so squemish about sex. About not having it, about talking about it. Geez."She caught the look that Casey sent her.

" I don't swing that way, Casey. I have a friend there."

" A friend." Faye lifted an eyebrow.

" Yeah, can't I have friends?"

" Yeah, but" She rolled her eyes. " Give me a break. Just because she's a prostitute doesn't mean that she's a bad person. _We_ should know about that."

They had to agree. They kill people in their jobs, doesn't make them bad people. Right.

Magdelene was a classy swing place, with a big tacky neon pink sign. It made Faye smile. She was still smiling when she walked to the lobby of Magdelene, even when a big ass bulky woman stopped infront of her. She was wearing some kind of robe the color of fuschia pink, there were pink feathers in her also pink hair and her face was covered with a ton of make up. Faye guessed this was probably the madame of the establishment. She gave Faye a grimacing smile.

" I don't understand. I thought the syndicate already had the routine check last week." Faye lifted a brow." Huh?"

Horatio leaned down and whispered in her ear. " The syndicate checks out the place twice a month for underage prostitutes and illegals."

" Didn't know you guys cared." Horatio smiled. " We don't. Spike does." Faye lowered her eyes.

Horatio nodded to the big woman. " We're not here to check anything, Madame Cynthia. We're here for other business."

" What business?" Her ugly face turned sneaky and calculating.

" I want to see Siren. " She frowned. " Siren? Why?" Faye merely stared at her.

" She has an appointment in another hour. She has an important guest. I want her to rest for her performance." She shifted under Faye's chilling stare.

" I don't fucking care. Either _you _call her or I will. Now, do you really want to set me loose in your establishment, Madame?"

" Wait for her in the blue room. I'll call her." She turned without another word.

" She doesn't like you guys very much, doesn't she?" She smiled. Casey chuckled.

" It's not us that she doesn't like, Faye. I think it's you." Faye widened her eyes and batted her eyelashes. " Now, whatever did I do to her? Anyway, where is this blue room that she told us to wait in." A waitress approached them and told them that she'd lead them. to the blue room.

Faye had just sat on the, guess, blue couch when chimes of bells, light and cheery trickle to the room. She looked up and realized it was coming from the wide majestic circuler stairs behind her. She stood and smiled when a woman jingle her way down the stairs in a bright melody of bells.

" You're already in costume." The woman snapped her eyes to her. Her eyes were the exact same shade of Faye's emerald green. Her hair was a thick smooth black wave that spilled all over her slim slender body and reached her butt, her creamy colored shoulders were small and uncovered, she was dressed in a swirl of a material so light it fluttered around her as she moved like seafoam. It was the blue-ish green of the ocean, only it paled around the edges and faded to the color white. Her hands were thin and delicate, the legs were long and shapely, they peeked out from the flutter of her costume which seemed traslucent but not really. She was barefoot, her hands, arms, ankles, neck and laced in her hair were little gold and silver bells that jingle merrily as she walk. She moved in a precise, elegant, graceful and almost dreamlike state. And her face was a work of art that God had made in a good day. Her heart shaped face was dominated by her almond shaped that tilted at the side, the nose was long and straight and her mouth was full and carnal, with a dent in the middle of her bottom lip. She looked like how mermaids in fairytales should look. Exotic, mysterious and mouth watering seductive. Those wonderful eyes widened, that face was bright with the light of her smile.

" Lorelei!!" The bells jingled even more loudly as she went into a flat out run and almost threw herself on Faye. Faye staggered and took a two steadying steps backward. " Oh, by the Goddes. I thought I'll never get to see you again. It's been so long. I'm _so_ glad to see you." She said all the time bouncing up and down while hugging Faye.

" Then why are you trying to kill me?" Faye said and took a great heaving breath when she was let go. Siren laugh." Oops. Sorry." Her laugh was the same sound as her bells. Light, cheerful and almost innocent, if not for her low husky voice.

" How? What are you doing here? Are you looking for a job?" she pulled on Faye's hand to the sofa where Faye had sat earlier. She glared at the guys that snorted and waved her hands at them.

" Okay, guys. Scram. Girl talk." They hid their grins as they trooped out of the room and close the doors. They took guard of the door and speculate on the new piece of information.

" It's Faye, now Siren. Faye Valentine." Siren tilted her head. " Faye Valentine. I like that. It suits you." They smiled at eachother, at their history and memories together.

" So, what are you doing here? And with body guards no less?" She frowned. " They're body guards, right? They're not giving you any trouble cause I could" She did a karate chop in the air that had the bells in her arms clinked together and made Faye laugh.

" They're bodyguards and you know me. I can take care of myself. I was in the neighborhood and I wanted to see you."

" Aw, and we only have a couple of minutes..." she paused then her lips spread in a smile. A smile that Faye had learned to fear. " What? Why are you smiling like that?" Siren laughed.

" LoFaye. Dance with me." Siren bounced on her seat, her bells jingled loudly." Come on, like old times. I have an important guest coming." Faye grimaced.

" I can help you out of here, you know." Siren smiled gently.

" I don't do sexual favors, Faye. I only sing and dance just like we used to." She rolled her eyes." There are a couple of guys that doesn't seem to understand, but Madame makes that clear nowadays. I think because this new guy likes me, I don't know who he is, but he's loaded and he seems to be important. He's not bad looking either. He's really nice." she hesitated. " He doesn't give me money, Faye. He brings me books and music, and sometimes cloth for my costumes and tiny bells, you know how rare that is." Faye did, working by dancing or singing, depending on your looks had always felt degrading for her, she never felt comfortable in getting money for it. It was just another way of selling yourself. Your body. But sometimes a nice one came along and gave tips in things, small meaningless things but worthwhile all the same. Siren smoothed the skirt of her dress. " This is from him, also the bells in my hair." she giggled and Faye heart sank.

" Siren, you're not falling in love with this guy, are you?" Siren gave her a small smile. It wasn't a happy one. " I sometimes pretend that he is mine." She shook her head slowly. " But I'm not that foolish, Faye."

" It's not foolish, it's human." Siren took a deep breath." I think he likes me 'cause I look like someone that he cares about. He likes to come by and just talk sometimes, just about everyday stuff, sometimes he comes down here just to hear me sing until he falls a sleep. There are times where he looks at me, just looks at me and I knew that he was looking at someone else, wishing that I was someone else." She blinked and the soft expression on her face disappeared. " No, I'm not in love with him or in any danger of falling in love with him. But, seeing him look at me sometimes, I wish I was." She shook her head and smiled. A determine smile.

" So, what about it? Come on. I miss the old times." Faye rolled her eyes. " I don't remember anything."

" Liar. Please?" Faye sighed. She felt her reluctance was slowly receding as she looked at the eyes so similiar to her own despite the still innocent look in them." I don't have anything to wear." When she saw Siren grinned, she knew she was in trouble.

" I can't believe you still have my old costume." she murmured through her veil of the lightest cloth that men had ever made. Siren giggled through her own veil. " I swear you had done something with it, I'm afraid if I move it'll tear opened. I can _see _everything. And I have nowhere to hide my gun." Faye turned her body infront of the gigantic sea corals and sea shells framed mirror in Siren's bedroom which was above the blue room. She lifted her hands and sucked in a breath.

" I can see my boobs." she covered that part of her and looked almost aghast. Siren lifted a brow. " You're not bringing your gun.You can_not _see your boobs and for a girl who flashes it everytime she can you're growing very prudent all of a sudden."

" Fuck you, Siren. And I do not flash my boobs everytime I can." Siren muttered something in the lines of: yeah, right. She was busy inserting tiny bells in and out the loopholes in Faye's costume. Her costume was similiar to Siren's, just much more greener, and was mischievously designed to tease the imagination. The cloth was thin, like Siren's, it began from the bosom, and trailed long to the floor, tiny pearls were embroidered on the cloth, it gleamed like fallen tears. Faye turned to the side and she could see the long line of her body, every curve and every shadow showed itself clearly. She looked pretty much naked underneath the dress, but the truth was, her privates were covered by strategically placed skin colored cloth that made it seemed like she was naked from the outside. Long strands of white cloths that changed its color everytime the lights hit it flowed from the back of the dress that stopped just under her shoulder blades and glittered and flowed like fairy wings.

" Here put these on. " Siren handed out several jade and moonstone braclets and last but not least, hundreds of bells. " It was cute the first time, but now it's just damn annoying." Faye growled at the cheerful sound.

" Really? I like it." And to show it she jumped around and laughed when Faye gritted her teeth. " Aw, is wittle Faye nervous about her first dance?"

" You mean my last dance, don't you." There was a knock on Siren's door. " That's the sign." Siren grinned, she was almost bursting with excitement. Faye was actually having second thoughts but not dor all the worlds would she ever dimmed that smile.

" Fine. Let's just do this." She sighed at the sound of the bells.

She looked around after they got out of the room. " Where are my guys?" Siren hurried infront of her.

" They're probably showed to the ocean room, already. Come on." Faye sniggered. " Ocean room." Siren smirked back at her over her shoulder.

" I know. Remember those sailors we've once entertained." Faye grinned. " The minute we were done with them I bet they would let us drown them if we must."" Siren and Lorelei's big comeback."

" _Only_ comeback. I have a day job." They were almost infront of the heavy door of the ocean room. " What is it?" Siren saw the snarled in Faye's face.

" I'm a cowgirl." Siren's eyes bulged under all the eye make up but before she could ask something, the sound of a gong sounded from behind the door.

Siren grinned at her. " Get ready. It's showtime. And be nice." Faye made a face in answer that put a light in Siren's eyes.

The door opened and Siren entered first in tip toed steps. She raised her arms high above her head then bowed to her waist, her right leg bent infront of her in elegant and courtly gesture. Well, Faye had never bowed to anyone, she imitate Siren's first move but then continued with an inticate movement of her fingers and hands that made a melodic song of bells. She ended with opening her arms at her sides, the strands of multicolored cloth laced on her arms, her left leg out of the slit of the dress, and her head held high. It used to be her usual greeting, even on the times she had serve, she had never bowed down.

And it showed, her dignity, her pride, even her arrogance on the tilt of her head, on the lines of her body. The men in the room quieted down even more. Faye's eyes caught a flash of black and red and glanced at it, expecting to see one of the guys, instead she met the eyes of a stranger. She saw something moved behind that someone and met the eyes of Horatio. There was something in his eyes. A slick ball of dread bounced in her stomach.

She lifted her eyes to the center of the wide ocean colored room, and met the eyes of Spike Spiegal.

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Author notes:

Hahahahahaha! What a cliffhanger, huh? Did you see that coming? Didcha? Didcha? jumps around like mad

Anyway, I just wanna say thanks for all the reviews. Love you all.

Ps: You guys, know any other songs that I can use? I'm running out of them. I'll try to update soon. Probably about a week or so...laughs evilly Naah, kidding.


	15. Let the Games Begin

"Remember Me"  
  
I stand here face to face  
With someone that I used to know  
He used to look at me and laugh  
But now he claims  
That he's known me for so very long  
But I remember being no one

Do you remember now  
You acted like you never noticed me  
Forget it  
Cause the gone has come around  
And you're not allowed to be a part of me

You're never going to be a part of me  
You're never going to be a part of me

"Remember Me"

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Spike found himself staring at the woman that stood with such pride, oozing from her pores. From the look of her she was a highpriced companion like Siren. But he felt the prickled at the back of his neck, something looked familiar about the woman. It was the exact tilt of her chin, the lines of her body, her vague feautures under the thin light material veil that covered her from head to waist. His mind registered that Siren was talking but for the life of him he couldn't hear a word that she was saying.

And then she raised her eyes and met his and his breath caught in his throat. Emerald eyes. Even the veil couldn't hide the glitter of those emerald eyes. The richness of its color, the sharp intense look in them. Emerald eyes gleamed back in him and looked like jewels in a face made of marble.

Faye's eyes.

He felt an elbow sharp on his back. He blinked and focused his attention to Siren. She was beaming at him, her own emerald eyes glowed at him. He managed a smile.

" Is she your sister? She has the same eyes." Siren, her smile joyous and bright,laughed. " You have sharp eyes, Spike. Yes, she is. Sisters by heart if not by blood. I persuaded her to dance and sing with me." Spike glanced at the other woman who stood silently, unmoving behind Siren.

" What's your name?"

_He doesn't recognize me!_ Faye let out a trembling breath that fluttered the veil that covered herself from his eyes. The relief turned quickly to annoyance. _He doesn't recognize me. That figures. _She reminded herself to thank the guys for their quick thinking that made them hide behind Spike's bodyguards. Though I'm surprise why they didn't just tie me up and laid me under Spike's feet. Well, it's still early yet. She almost jumped when she heard his low and even voice.

" What's your name?" She blinked and somehow her weird and often times twisted sense of humor made her wanted to laugh. This was the first time in two years that she had heard his voice, and he's asking for her name. It was all just so hysterically funny that she had to bit her lip to keep herself from laughing. She saw him frowned and turned to Siren.

" Doesn't she speak?"

_Not to you I don't._ She turned to Siren who was looking at her, her eyes asking her what's wrong. Faye gave her a slight shake of her head. She in return gave a slight nod that was hardly noticeble.

" I'm sorry, Spike. She's a bit shy." Faye nearly snorted. _Shy, me? Yeah, I'm a delicate flower. Well, might as well use it as a cover up. _She ducked her head when she saw him looked at her again.

_Shy? Now she couldn't be Faye. _He looked at her more carefully, sure enough the woman seemed to shrink before his very eyes. But why would Faye would be here anyway? They've been in Mars before and she had never mention anything about having a friend at the Magdelene. They seemed to be very close, if Faye had friends here she would've visited them before. She wasn't one to ignore her friends. Maybe his mind was just playing tricks on him. Seeing Faye in every woman with green eyes. Music began and Spike sat back and tried to eased his suddenly tightening muscles.

But with every minute that pass by, his body became even more tense. His eyes kept returning to the other woman. His heart jerked everytime he found several familiar gestures. Familiar poses, movements. The way she turned her head there, the way she glided here, the way she turned just that exact way, that precise line of her body. He caught several images of Faye doing the exact same thing, whether she was fighting, or handling a gun, or just reaching out for a lighter to light a ciggarette. He didn't realize until now, that he had spend considerable time watching Faye, just looking at her.

But the woman is not Faye, the Faye he knew doesn't dance, doesn't sing. She's tune deaf for God sake and the woman infront of him was doing a frickin' good job of it.

When she opened her mouth and laced her voice with Siren they were all transfixed. Their voices meshed and intertwined with eachother that you won't know which one was which. Their voices filled the room, rushing over them. Impossibly high, impossibly low, impossibly inhuman-like. It traced and rubbed against his skin, he could feel it like a weight around him, like a force not to be underestimate. Unpredicatable, calm and peaceful, soothing, healing now, angry with little tiny fingers that nipped and bit at the skin mercilessly, poking and proding, mentally invasive, surrounding, him pushing their weight against him, testing, gleefuly playing the next.

His eyes instead was mesmerized by the way they..moved. From the top of their head to the tip of their toe, every flash of skin, every sway of their hips, every tilt of their head, every glimpes of their arms and hair was like an honor that they had bestowed upon them. These were not mortal women, these were something so much more.

Spike sucked in a breath when the veil of the other woman fluttered a second and showed him a flicker of a face and he saw her looking at him.

Was he merely fooling himself? Was this was just Gods way of fucking his so called life all over again? He closed his eyes and pressed his thumb and forefinger at the eyelids. Cursing lightly to himself. When he opened them Siren was no way insight, the woman was standing alone.

Faye saw him frowned and she wondered what did it take for Spike to finally recognize her. She was here, alone, with no gun to protect her and surrounded by people that have been trying to find her and bring her to him. Suddenly she felt angry and sad all at the same time.

She closed her eyes and focused on her emotions. Dancing had always been a good way for her to channel her more useless emotions. Anger was useless, so was sadness.

She turned, dipped, glided, raise and lowered her arms, flicked her fingers.

_Look at me. Look at me because this will be the last time that you will ever see me._

Despite of her vehements denials that she would ever see him again, there was always a spark of doubt in her heart. But now, standing in front of him. Unrecognizable, unknown, the spark of doubt died and all that was left was a deep hollow hole. She would grieve for that one emotion that had died.

The sadness she felt filled her, evident in every gesture that she made. Her dress floated around her, the pearls glinted like tears, the soft fairy wings fluttered and swayed with every movement. Even the chimes of her bells seemed more subdued. She looked delicate, she seemed to fade before their very eyes, like if you tried to touch her, your hand would only passed through her.

" Magnificent, isn't she? I mean, I'm good and all, but she was always better than I ever was, ever could be.Siren whispered to Nathaniel who merely stared. " Spike seems to agree with me. She hasn't taken her eyes off her since she'd stepped into the room." If Siren's voice was a bit stilted and bitter, Nathaniel didn't notice. His attention was all for the woman in the center of the room like every other pair of eyes in the room. Siren looked at Nathaniel and was tempted to smack his head to get him out of the daze he was in, but she refrained himself. She merely shook her head and sighed.

Faye felt sweat gathered at her back, her arms were starting to cramp, so were her legs. The veil was starting to suffocate her. She met his eyes again and she didn't see any flicker of recognization.

_He doesn't recognize me. He doesn't notice me. Again._

And all at once, she wanted to be seen. _I want him to see. I want him to know that this is me. I want him to look at me and know it was me when I walk out of here. Walk out on him. Just the way he walked out on me. I want him to _see_ me._

Faye's hands slipped under the veil and she heard everyone stopped breathing the instant they figured out what she was about to do.

Faye knew the moment he knew it was her, his shoulders tensed, his eyes widened, his hands clenched on the table. His body straightened on his seat. Faye felt a flicker of satisfaction as atleast for this one very short moment, his attention, his eyes were on her. And on her alone.

She flung her veil upwards and looked at it as it fluttered in the air, falling, flying, floating like a silver cloud. It gleamed and glittered in the light. But no one else appreciate it, everyone else's eyes were all on Faye, on her face. Drinking her in with big greedy eyes. On that astonishing face with its emerald eyes, and slashing cheekbones. That beautifully shaped mouth and the elegant opal shaped face. That gleaming rich violet hair.

Everyone just stopped breathing.

They didn't actually see her, they saw what she wanted them to see. What they wanted to see. A face so beautiful, so entrancing that just a moment, a second of looking at it, was like stepping into the edges of heaven. Living a moment of eternity, a second of forever.

Her veil descended down and covered her face and the people around her started to breathe again, and in the silence somebody whispered:

_If I could write the beauty of your eyes_

_And number all your graces_

_The age to come would say_

_This poet lies_

_Such heavenly touches_

_Ne'er touched earthly faces_

Shakespeare, somebody quoted Shakespeare for her. But among the people who saw what they had wanted to see, someone saw what she actually was, knew who she really is. Spike stared at her, emotions that he didn't know and didn't understand raced on his face, showed in his eyes and ran deep inside of him.

_It's her. It's really her. _

They stared at each other, tawny eyes met emerald ones. One burning hot, the other burning cold.

Everybody was just so caught in her performance that they didn't notice the woman that was walking towards her.

Faye heard the click of a gun and frozed when she felt the cool and press of it on her back. A hand folded over her neck, pressing tightly. The hands were small and female looking. She could feel the soft touch of someones breast at her back. " Step away from her." Horatio, his voice and face cold, appeared out of nowhere, jumped over the table and pointed his own gun on the person behind her. That's when she heard the click of multiple guns and saw a great many of them pointed towards her. She felt the gun at her back disappeared but then appeared beside her head.

_Oh joy. What the hell have you got yourself into now, Faye. Dammit. If you haven't dropped your guard..but how the hell could she know that some prick could slipped pass a room full of syndicates?_

" No, _you_ stand back if you don't want her pretty face be blown to bits." her voice was raspy and thick. I shifted, testing her strength. The would be assasin tensed and pressed her forarm to her windpipe.

_Okay, she's pretty strong. _

" Who sent you?" Spike own face was stony, his eyes cold. There was no hesitation in his voice nor in his expression. She pressed the gun harder into Faye's temple. Faye could smell sweat and a flowery scent. And fear was a tangy sharp taste in her mouth.

This was not how she wanted to die, if she had to be murdered, she wanted to die staring into the eyes of her killer, not because she wanted to be brave or all that shit. But 'cause she wanted the look in her eyes to haunt whomever it was that was brave enough to kill her. Now all that she could see was Spike's cold and hard face, and somehow she couldn't have thought of something more fitting.

" Came on, Spike. You don't want me to start shooting her, do you? Maybe I'll start with a kneecap, shame 'cause she dances quite beautifully. Or probably cut her face a little bit, I knew I have a knife on me somewhere. Just a nice quick slash on her face. Could you see imagine it, Spike? Here, let me help you." She let go of the choke hold she had on Faye's neck and pulled at her veil. Again, people caught their breath at the sigh of her.

Spike swallowed, staring into a face that had haunted his days and nights. A quick flare of something appeared in his heart. Any doubt about the woman's identity was squashed by that quick flare. He knew that face, those eyes that stared back at him with such a cold gleam in her eyes.

He'd seen that face when it glowed with laughter, seen those eyes when it was filled with tears.

He knew she could handle herself, she could save herself. But looking at her, a gun pushed to the side of her head made his heart beat with fear. He blanked his face, his eyes, but his heartbeat remained fast.

" Lower your weapons." There was no hesitations, no objections. Everybody lowered their weapons. Faye spread her gaze across the room. There weren't merely THE RED DRAGONS, another syndicate was here, she focused on a person that was also surrounded by men who looked like bodyguards. The body guards wore black with an undertone of silver. THE WHITE TIGER SYNDICATE.

_So this chick is good enough to slipped over two syndicates. Someone screwed up tonight._ _But what was Spike doing with them? And they had also followed his orders._

Faye's train of thought was broken by a snigger from behind her. She's on drugs, and from the scent of it, liquor._I could use some right now_.

_She probably knew she wasn't going to make it. She was sent to assasinate Spike, and she knew that she would either fail and die or succeed and die anyway. Faye, focus. First things first_. _The girl was strong but with the drugs and the alcohol, she'll be clumsy._

But she didn't know what kind of drugs she had taken, she could be immune to pain for all she knew. There's no other choice though. She had spent these two years only counting on herself for her very survival. No reason to start breaking the tradition now.

" I guess I overestimated you, Spike. Willing to be killed just because of a whore. She's beautiful I give you that. But she's still a whore."

_Bitch!_ Faye breathed out and centered herself. She had to focus, concentrate and act fast. _She called me a whore. Damn bitch. _The woman pressed her body to hers, pushing her to move closer to Spike. Her hand holding the gun still on her temples. She shadowed her steps one by one. She jerked when Spike light a ciggarette and quirked a smile at her. Faye eyed him cooly.

" Thats just the thing. She's not really a whore. And especially not mine." She frowned and she started to raised the gun to Spike when Faye's hand struck out. One shot rang loudly in the silent and tense room. Faye slid out of the woman's hold and punched her in the face, the woman didn't waver. The gown was stifling her movement, she swept the woman's feet from under her and the woman fell down on her back.

" Faye." Siren called out to her. She hesitated for a moment but not a second longer.

Another shot rang loudly before they wrestled for it. It was just a flurry of fast movements. It ended not a second longer, with the woman flat on the floor and Faye holding her down, the gun in her hand.

" Don't kill her. We need her." Shin merely deserve a glance from her, two thin long stilleto point flashed in her hand and she jammed it into the woman's hands, nailing it to the floor. The woman hardly winced. She was high on something and she didn't feel a thing.

_Lucky bitch. _

Blood oozed out of the wound and stained the floor. She saw the chiding look on Shin's face.

" What? It's her hands. She can still talk." Shin sighed and shook his head.

Faye looked into the eyes of the woman.

" Did you pull that out of your hair?" Nathaniel sounded awed and thoughtful at the same time, already trying to figure out how to make her show him how it was done. Tony crouched down beside her, she was still leaning down on the woman.

" You're bleeding." Faye felt the warm sticky blood on her forehead.

" It's nothing. The bullet just grazed me." She finally had a good look of her would be killer. Her hair was white, not blond but white and her eyes were blue, they looked feral and wild. A shadow fell over her and she didn't need to turn to know who it was.

" You need to get that tended." His voice was close, too close for her comfort. She shifted but the world started to spin.

" Faye? Faye are you okay?" She raised her eyes and met Siren's. She nodded, but bile started to raised to her throat. She swayed. Hands held her.

" Faye? Shit, she's shot. Where's the medic?" Gentle hands were on her face. She opened her eyes and saw Spike. She flinched out of his hold.

" Get the fuck away from me. It's just a graze."

" Not the one on your stomach, it isn't. Faye, don't move." She tried to move out of his arms. " Fuck it, Faye. This is not the time to be stubborn."

" Fuck you, Spike. Fuck you." Her eyes were sharp and their was something menacing in her voice. " I don't want to see you. Don't touch me, you bastard. Horatio. Horatio." She struggled in his arms. Horatio appeared by their side.

Spike's face was grim and he gritted his teeth when she turned her body towards Horatio. Horatio looked at Spike.

" Don't look at him. Don't you _dare_ look at him. Help me up. Look at _me_, dammit." She leaned heavily to him, her fingers digging into his clothes. Horatio hesitated but Spike loosened his hold on her. Her breath hitched when Horatio helped her up. When her knees gave way, Horatio lifted her.

" Faye, let the medic take a look at you." Spike clenched his fingers, warm and tainted red by Faye's blood. _Faye's blood._" Get me to the Bebop. Get me Jet." She was starting to get dizzy.

" Let the medic help you, Faye." Tristan was at Horatio's side. Casey and Sean by his side. " I don't need it. It's a graze."

" You have a fucking hole in your stomach, Faye. You're having the medic take a look at you whether you like it or not." " Spike." Shin's voice was calm after Spike's angry tone. Faye's eyes was still mysteriously clear.

" Don't you get it, Spike? I don't need your help. _I don't want it_. I'd rather lie here and bleed to death." Her voice was harsh with anger and pain, and a spurt of hatred.

She just got shot so she's in a whole lotta pain and that just pissed her off, who better to focus it on than Spike?

" Get Jet." Spike ordered not taking his eyes of off Faye. Horatio had laid her down on a table, Siren gently administered the wound as best as she could.

" Spike." Spike turned. " I'm sorry, Jason. We'll.." He dragged his fingers through his thick bushy hair. Jason was a handsome man in his prime. With black hair and sapphire eyes and a kind smile but was also the leader of THE WHITE TIGER syndicate. Spike looking into his blue eyes just couldn't seem to think.

" We'll reschedule." His eyes twinkled kindly. They had met when they were very young. Entered two different syndicates later, and both had managed to get picked out to be leader because of a twist of fate, not by choice. They had met as friends, met as enemies but had respected eachother and liked eachother despite of it. " Will she be okay?"

" The bullet went through." He tilted his head.

" You know eachother?" He watched as Spike's eyes darkened as it shifted back to Faye who was carried to somewhere. " We used to."

" Complicated?" Spike shook his head. " You have no idea."

" We'll go then. I'll call you." Spike nodded.

" Spike, she fainted. The medic is looking at her. We took her to Siren's room." Shin walked along side of Spike.

" How did this happen? How's the bitch?" Shin stepped away and cleared Spike's way to the woman still pinned to the floor like a collected butterfly.

" She was a musician, hired a couple of weeks ago. Other than that we don't know." Nathaniel and Tony were there standing around the woman, their faces were grim. Faye was injured in their watch. That didn't bode well for them.

Spike stood between her feet, looking down at her. She sneered at him

" Your whore, she's dead yet?" Nathaniel bristled. " Shut up."

Her feet were held down by a couple of syndicates, the influence of the drug hadn't disappeared.

" She probably couldn't tell us anything." Spike's voice was low. Shin gave a long considering look at Spike. He turned at the woman lying at their feet and stare into her eyes. " Probably not."

Spike took out a gun that seemed to showed out of nowhere quick as lightening and pointed it at her. His face cold and dark. Was it just his imagination or was there a flicker of fear he saw in her eyes. He wanted her to be afraid. To taste her fear like a bitter taste in her mouth. Just like he did when he saw the gun on Faye's head.

" Nobody threatens me and mine."

Another two shots pitched sharply in the now almost empty room.

Author notes:

Such an anti climax, wasn't it? Oh, don't worry. Things will go on even more exciting from here.

Faye's feelings for Spike is a bit complicated. And so is Spike's feelings towards her.

Maybe they'll end up together, maybe they don't. I'm not sure.

It's 4.33 in the morning and I don't remember writing half of this story as I should have.

I made Faye a bit tougher here, cause they've been a lot of Cowboy bebops fanfiction that writes Faye as either a damsel in distress, sex slave, alcoholic, plain crazy and just flat out bitchy. Like she doesn't have a mind or a spike..oops spine.

A complicated lady, is Faye. A strong, recourseful one at that. That's how I picture her. Sophisticated woman, a lost child.

I actually wanted Siren to be the assasin but I wanted to give Faye a break. She didn't need to be killing her bestfriend too, too much angst.


	16. The Way We Were

But if you could give me

just one love

just one life

just one chance to believe in mine

just one love

just one life

you'd bleed for me

and I didn't dare to notice you

now I'm stuck

out on a line.

Bleed for me

I didn't care to be with you

now you're stuck in my mind

"Bleed for me" Saliva

The light was fading, shadows began to cling to certain things in the room, spreading its darkness against the light. The last rays of light and warmth spread shadows on the floor, cast shadows on the bed where Faye was sleeping. Spike took a deep breath and sat carefully on the edge of the bed, she had refused to see him so he slipped into the room when Jet told him she was sleeping. Snuck into the room like a thief, afraid that she would wake up and kill his ass. Granted she didn't have any weapons right _now_, it was amazing the places where the woman had managed to hide several sharp items. The doctors, who had healed many syndicates and never batted an eyelash was surprise by the array of weapons hid in her person. Even the thought of it made Spike winced. Anyway, Faye was a resourceful woman, just because she doesn't have a weapon doesn't mean she can't get one. It was just a matter of creativity, and Faye was a very creative woman.

Faye was lying on her back, the wound was cleansed and patched up. A couple of hours from now the wound would only be a memory and left a scar as a reminder. The graze on her head had disappeared. The magic of today's medical science. She was wearing a satin robe the color of her eyes. It enhanced the violet color of her hair spread on the turqouise colored bedsheets and pillows. The color deepened, the texture softened but her already pale face looked even more pale against the vivid colors of the blue and green color of the bed, her robe and the blanket that covered her as though the colors around her stole the colors on her face.

Faye's face was calm, almost peaceful if not for the frown on her brow, her eyelids fluttered. Her eyelashes made shadows under her eyes. Her plump and unpainted lips were slightly parted, a sigh escaped her lips.

A flutter of wind blew a wisp of violet into her face. Spike unconciously lifted a hand but he froze when Faye murmured something and turned her head away from him. Spike felt a sharp pang in the vicinity of his heart and felt a bitter smile crept its way into his face.

_Even when she's asleep she turns away from me._

Spike touched the strand of hair and swept it gently away from her face, he hesitated when his fingers touched her skin, the warmth seeped to his fingers and it tingle. He trailed his fingers along the skin in an agonizing slow, excessively gentle touch, his eyes followed its path, against the high slope of her cheekbone, the valley of her cheeks. Her skin was so soft, so smooth, so warm. That warmth stayed in his fingers and when he stared at it, it shook. It had never stop shaking since he saw her blood on his hands.

Her blood. On his hands.

Spike clenched his fingers together, trying to stop the shaking but it was no use.

He couldn't stay at the Magdelene's after the assasination attempt, he had to go to headquarters and headed a pers conference, assuring the public and his business partners that he was still okay. He had no time to brood or to think about the state of her wounds. But now, after all had settled down, after all had been done with, everything he felt, thought, saw came back to him again.

He touched her fingers, laid his finger alongside of hers and felt her heat radiated from her fingers to him. Faye was exactly that, she was heat, she was fire. When she was amused, her face just glowed and when she was angry the look in her eyes could burn you where you stand.

Crude, brash, reckless, stubborn,a smart ass, but there were time where she would stop in a middle of an argument with him or with Jet or with Ed and Ein and just smiled. Just smiled, like she knew something that they didn't. Sometimes when she thought that no one was looking, she petted Ein and played with him, chatted with Ed, or watered Jet's bonsai's, or draped a blanket over him when she thought that he was sleeping. When they gathered in the living room for dinner, when everyone made fun of Jet's lack of beef in his bell peppers and beef, she would complain just like the rest of them but never actually mean it. She would look at the rest of them fighting with this light in her eyes. She had cared about them all, and he knew he'd destroyed what she had thought of as her home that day when he walked out.

Now the only look he got from her was that cold glint in her eyes or that look of anger, and other times there were even hatred and there was nothing he could do about it.

The only atittude he got from her was a cold dismissal, in her voice, in her gestures. He had walked out of her life once a upon a time ago, she would never forget that and she would also make sure that he would never forget that either.

Yesterday was the first time that they had met in two years and all he had seen in her eyes were either anger and hate or worst, that irritating blank look on her fac, like he was nothing, just another face in the crowd. Even when someone had pushed a gun against her head, she had merely looked at him with a cold emotionless face, she'd rather die than ask for his help.

The shaking in his hands started again, the image of a gun on her head, the blood spreading on her gown and her impossibly pale face would add to his nightmares tonight. If he could ever get any sleep that is.

She didn't want to see him. She didn't want his help.

Years ago she would also never have asked him for help, but although how much he bitched about it, he would eventually got her out of the muck she had brought on herself, and she would trusted him to do just that.

_Don't you get it, Spike? I don't need your help. I don't _want_ it. I'd rather lie here and bleed to death._

Her angry face flashed before his eyes and he closed his eyes at the look of hatred in them.

She had been angry with him before. Hell, half the time when they were in one room they had fought but it was their way to communicate, their way of passing the time but not once had he seen that look in her eyes, in her face.

When he had walked away from her two years ago, he didn't really think he would survive, so he didn't think about how he would make it right to his comrades. With Jet, well, after all the yelling and calling him names he had merely cooked him bellpeppers and beef that really did have beef in them. With Ed, she didn't seemed to know that he had left.

But Faye, he knew it would be harder than that, more complicated than that. He really didn't expect her to stay at Bebop, but he was still surprise when Jet had told him that she had gone. Before he had known about Faye's disappearence, he had actually thought that he could stroll into Bebop one day, called out 'Honey, I'm home!' they would exchange words, he would let her shoot him and everything would be like it was before again. Then of course he found that THE RED DRAGON had already appointed him as their new leader, Faye had gone and split and didn't tell anyone where she had gone. He had shrugged her off at the moment. He was busy, had his days full. But his nights, when he could actually scrape some few hours to sleep, the image of Julia had haunted him and months after that, it was Faye's face, Faye's eyes that had made him reached out in his sleep.

That was when he had started to make some effort to find her.

Spike stood and pushed a seat near her bed and sat on it. He sat back, straightened his long legs infront of him, and laced his hand on his stomach and watched her breath.

Faye shifted, winced and wondered why her stomach felt like hell and remembered. Her eyes shot opened and met darkness. She blinked her eyes and took in her surroundings and she saw him. Her first reaction was to leap up from the bed, but her muscles were stiff and it was in that one second that she realized that he was asleep.

She held herself up on her elbows, and looked at him and felt all that she'd once felt for Spike tried to resurface again at the sight of his face.

He sat low on the chair, his shoulders slouched, his head tilted. His eyes closed. Faye felt a spark of amusement when she looked at his hair. It was still the messy, bushy green mess it was two years ago.

_With all the money he seem to have the least he could do is get a decent hair cut._

She saw the dark circles under his eyes, the slight tension near his eyes. She gritted her teeth, closed her eyes and employed the miraculous technique that she had used for these couple of years to stop any pesky excessive emotions from getting to her. She imagined a giant foot stomping, squishing whatever it was that had piqued those emotions. In this case it was Spike. After a satisfying full five minutes of imagining a dwarfed cartoon image of Spike getting chased and stepped on by a giant foot wearing her favorite black pumps she acces her surroundings including the nearest escape and the fastest ways to get there, she touched her stomach and grimaced at the sharp burning pain. _Well, at least the medic had done a good job at it_. She peeked under the robe to the wound and lifted the bandage a little. _Yey, another scar._

Her arms started to wobble, the muscles on her arms protested at the weight she had put on it and she stumbled back on the bed. A hiss of pain disturbed the calmness of the night.

" You shouldn't move." She jumped at the sound and turned her head to the voice. Tawny mismatched eyes seemed to glow in the dark. Watching her with eyes too sharp and too clear to have been a sleep. With eyes that saw too much, noticed to much.

He watched as the emotion started to leaked out of her eyes and her face and the cool blank look that he'd come to hate replaced it.

_A look that she reserved just for him._

" Where is this?" Her voice seemed to draw icicles in the air. Spike straightened in his seat.

" Magdelene's. The doctor said you shouldn't be move just yet." She didn't say anything. The silence stretched on and grated on his nerves. He let out an exasparated breath.

" Damn it, Faye. How can I fix it, huh? Tell me what to do and I'll do it. Anything, just tell me what to do." He leaned forward, planted his elbows on his knees, his eyes anxious, glued to her face. His mouth grim.

Her eyelashes fluttered as it looked down.

" Anything?" she whispered. At other times Spike would think of this as a ploy but she looked so harmless in a robe, her face looked so naked without the make up she uses, and she looked so frail lying in that big bed.

" Yeah, whatever you want." His own voice lowered to a whisper.

She slowly raised her eyes to his and even in the darkness he saw the glittery look in them.

" Then leave me the fuck alone." Spike muttered a curse and stood up in a sudden motion and continued to paced in front of the bed, " Call off your dogs, don't make them follow me anymore. Leave me alone. I want to enjoy my life or what's left of it, without you breathing down my neck." Spike turned to her in sudden flurry of movement.

" Enjoy your life? Is that how you _enjoy_ your life? Moving from planet to planet, from one small motel to another? Hiding yourself?" he bit back.

" Yes." she hissed. " Yes, that's how I enjoy my life. And half the reason I hide is because you've sicced your dogs on me. I don't need that, I don't need you." Spike gritted his teeth.

" I'm getting tired of hearing that."

" Well, I'm getting tired of saying it over and over again, hoping you'll get a clue. Why can't you just leave me alone?" He whirled and loomed over her.

" I don't know. Maybe I was sick of having Jet and Ed whining over you, maybe I was sick of feeling guilty. Maybe I just wanted things to go on the way they were before."

" Things will never be the way they were before, Spike." Their eyes met. Tawny eyes heated, emerald eyes sad and empty." Why not? Tell me one reason why it won't?"

" You left." Her voice was quiet. " You chose to die rather than to live. With us."

Spike opened his mouth without knowing what to say but Faye turned her face away from him and slid down the headboard to lie down on the bed.

" Leave me, Spike. I'm tired." She closed her eyes tightly and pulled the blanket to her chin. Enveloping her, drawing the warmth like a shield around her. She could sense him standing beside the bed, watching her. Feel his presence like a big unhappy shadow. He whispered.

" Goodnight, Faye." She heard his footsteps faded and the door closed.

Her eyes opened.


	17. The Road to Hell

  
  
I'm torn and I'm tattered  
Sick and tired living my life singing the same old song  
Oh I, I feel a little battered  
Looks like I'm living my life running a one-man show  
Oh, I, I don't know where the feeling's gone  
I'll survive, I'll stay alive, I'm gonna carry on  
  
Riding the rodeo  
Up and down we go, yeah  
Where we'll end up  
I just don't know  
Like a rodeo  
Down we go

Faye grimaced when the waistband of the jeans she was putting on rubbed the bandage on her stomach. She slid into a smooth long sleeved top and struggled into a leather jacket. All of them were black, easier to slide in and out of the darkness with it, and all of it was courtesy of Siren's closet. She froze when she heard something outside of the door. She had tried to figure out another way she could sneak out but jumping out of the window was not an option, she wanted out but she didn't want to die. Climbing to the room upstairs was also no go with the stomach wound. Knowing Spike, there were probably guards on her door but knowing Siren, she probably had a secret escape hatch or something. She scoped out the room, trying to figure out where it was.

" Now, if I was Siren.." she paced through the room touching, pressing, sliding her fingers on everything and found nothing. She twisted, prodded, lifted and still found nothing. She huffed and spotted a statue of a mermaid lounging about on a rock, a hand on her hair and the other hand was a pearl. She tilted her head and stared at it. She blinked.

" It couldn't be that easy." She walked to it and idly trace her fingers on the mermaid's head. Then pressed down. The mermaid glowed a bluish color and the wall behind it moved. Faye grinned, the grin was not so pleasant.

" Cool." Spike made a mistake of thinking she was too weak to try anything. It was also a mistake not to take her purse away from her. And her bracelet of course. She poked her head into the opening of the secret door and felt the smile on her face grew. " Way cool." She would teach him a lesson or two.

She accepted that she was not going anywhere for the moment and that Spike had caught her once and for all. Temporarily of course. She'll go along for the ride, might as well enjoy the hotel and all the benefits of knowing the leader of THE RED DRAGON syndicate, but that doesn't mean she'll make it easy for him. He knows that, probably expected it. She'll make his life a living hell until he'll cry for mercy.

Faye scoffed.

_Nobody get's the better of Faye Valentine, especially a _man_. Even if it is Spike Spiegal, the man who had fought and won over an army of syndicates._

Damn her if she would just hang around, twiddling her thumbs until Spike finds out why the Alligieri's were shadowing around, and handled whatever the problem is. Damn her if she would let him take care of her business, while she remained somewhere in the hotel with her bodyguards watching her every move. Damn her all to hell if she'd owed a favor to THE RED DRAGON's. She stopped short when she realized she was stomping and the sound of her boots, well, Siren's boots were making a God awful noise in the empty hallway. She stopped and prick her ears for other noises besides her own, when she didn't even hear a whisper, she continued her journey towards freedom.

_And why is Jet suddenly so gung ho about joining forces with the syndicate now? I thought he knew me better than to ask me to settle down and let the manly man handle this for me. He practically patted me on the head and told me to not worry my pretty little head about it. Man, if I'd had my gun, I would've shoot him. The old man is getting senile._

Faye huffed a breath. The truth was, she didn't actually blamed Jet for getting all excited again, she had robbed him of his bounty hunting days, the action, the thrill. Now he has something he could bite his teeth into, something big, something mysterious, and with Spike, his old companion no less. Of course he was excited.

But that still didn't mean that he could just take the reins out of her hands. It was a stupid male conspiracy. Jet knew she could handle herself just as well as he does. He knew she was smart and resourceful, and although her technique was often times raw and more of the shoot first asked the survivors later, hey, it works. Besides, she had toned her reckless behavior through all the years, she actually plan things out now. Not that they would hear a word of what she was saying. It was like she opened her mouth, words come out of it but they just couldn't hear a damn thing.

Jet she could understand but Shin, he seemed almost as hell bent on ignoring her as Jet did and Spike...hadn't showed her face after that conversation that they had the other night.

The morning after, Jet and Shin had appeared after she had breakfast and asked her about the Aliggieri's, and about her whereabout these last few months. At first she had said: take all you questions and shove it. But Jet had gone all sentimental and sensitive and acted like the worried father that she had sullenly answered their questions. After they had their fill of information, they had patted her hand, tell her not to worry and stay out of their goddamn way.

Even remembering it made her angry all over again. She opened a door and found out that it led to a small alley behind the building. She clutched her purse to her. She had money, she had a compact gun, she had a couple of her stilleto knife's. She closed the door and hummed.

If it crossed her mind that what she's was about to do, disappearing without notifying anybody, is a bit childish, reckless, thoughtless and mean, the thought was banished from her mind seconds after it had appeared. She walked out of the alley into the traffic with a bounce in her steps and a song in her heart.

" SHE'S WHAT?" Tony winced, he had been appointed the bearer of bad news by his so called comrades.

" She's gone, sir. When the maid we assigned to her brought her breakfast, she was nowhere in sight. We still have no idea where she'd gone. Her purse along with a couple of Ms. Siren's clothes had disappeared. We don't know how she managed to get out of the room." Spike glared at the door where Nathaniel had knocked and entered.

" Ms. Siren had a secret passage way that leads to the back doors. She probably snuck out that way, sir." Spike seethed.

" That stupid, ungrateful, stubborn..." He stopped at the smile on Jet's face. " What are you fucking smiling about?"

" Just the sweet irony of the situation. She's becoming more and more like you, while you are becoming more and more like me when you pull this kind of stunt now and again." Jet merely sat back on a chair in Spike's office and peered at his boots ignoring Spike's darkening mood.

" Her ship is still at the hotel, so she couldn't go off planet. There is no movement in the Aliggier's house which means she hadn't appeared in their radar just yet. The off planet shuttles had been notified, just incase. Casey, Sean and Horatio is scoping out places that she would probably hang out in."

Spike narrowed his eyes and put on his coat and secured his tie around his neck.

" Get the car ready." Shin stepped out from the corner he was standing in. " Where are you going?" Spike checked his gun and insterted it back at his shoulder holster. " Where do you think?" Shin stepped closer to him.

" You have a meeting with the mayor within the hour. You can't go anywhere." Spike cursed under his breath and slammed his hand on his table. Tony and Nathaniel jumped. They weren't quite used to Spike's emotional outbursts.

" I'll go." Shin stayed still when Spike swung his angry eyes at him. Jet, sensing the undercurrent watched them with interested eyes.

" Fine. Bring her back." Jet straightened. " Bring her back where?"

" Bring her to the hotel. No, better yet. Bring her here where I can keep an eye on her." Jet coughed and Spike glanced at him. " What?"

" I don't think bringing her here is wise, Spike. I don't think you'd want to remind her about certain..things." They exchanged glances, Spike broke eye contact first. " Fine. The hotel then. How long has she gone?"

" It seemed that she had been gone a couple of hours." Tony answered. Spike nodded. " Fine-" He broke off because of the beep on his office com-link. " What is it, Caro?"

" It's a call for Mr. Jet Black, sir." His sounded a bit ruffled which was odd. " It's from Ms.Valentine." Spike strangled the com-link headpiece but Jet wrestled it from his hands. They stood there grappling for a minute until Shin took matters into his own hands and pressed for speaker.

" We'll take it, Caro." A beep answered Shin's voice. " Faye? Faye, are you there?" The video was blocked. There was the sound of laughter, the chimes of crystal glasses, and murmured conversations.

" Faye, where the fuck are you?" Spike managed to yell out before Jet closed his mouth with his mechanical hand. Tony and Nathaniel blinked at the sight of their leader currently being manhandled by his friend.

" Jet, did you put me on speaker?" Her voice sounded amused and a bit tired. She sighed.

" Just answer the damn question, Faye. Where the fuck are you?" Jet bit out and widened his eyes in warning to Spike.

" Why, Jet. I'm back at the hotel. Where did you think I was?" The five men gaped at the com-link.

" You're where?" Faye laughed. " At the hotel. Where else would I be?"

" Fine, make sure you'll stay there." Spike bit out and hit the off button. Jet stared at him.

" What did you do that for?" Spike bristled and kicked his chair. " She did all this on purpose, just to drive me crazy." Jet stopped his chuckled just in time.

" Course she did." Spike pressed the com-link again and Caro cheerful voice answered.

" Cancle the meeting with the mayor. Tell him I have personal business." He bared his teeth at Shin who merely sighed and eventually followed his leader out of the room. Tony, Nathaniel and Jet followed behind him, swallowing a laugh.


	18. The Long Night

She got big eyed cats she got coats of sable

She sits forty four at her dinner table

Yeah there's nothin' you can do nothin' you can say

No way you can try to change her way

She might be gone tomorrow oh throwin' it all away

Woman of the World by Aerosmith

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jet winced when Spike slammed the car door in his face. He shook his head, Nathaniel opened it for him and he stepped out.

" Someone's in a bad mood." he muttered. Nathaniel gave him a sympathetic smile. He caught up with Spike who was already walking, more like stalking towards the majestic lobby of The Royal Draconian Hotel. Jet, when he found out the name of the hotel, snorted. Spike's mood seemed to grow even more foul with every second that ticked by, Jet didn't want to say anything beforehand because he thought he would mellow down a bit. Guess that was only wishful thinking on his part. Crowds parted, voices lowered at his arrival. The syndicate crowd was pretty impressive to look at, and with the storm clouds hanging on his head and the way Spike seemed to emanate a highly dangerous aura that even civillians would know that he was someone you don't want to mess with then add the crowds of well armed entourage, it was pretty eye catching. The concierge jumped and bowed low when he saw Spike walked towards him. He looked both sick and a little pale around the edges. Jet wondered what Spike would do if the guy suddenly puked on his shoes.

" Where is she?" The concierge didn't seem confuse to whom Spike was refering to. He bowed again, lower than before that Jet thought he was merely trying to put his head between his knees.

" Ms. Valentine is at the bar, sir. Is there" The poor guy was dismissed as Spike merely walked around him.

_Right. We, flunkies just follow. _Jet sighed and scratched his head. He was feeling a bit tired of being the medium between Faye and Spike but who else should play the part? He walked faster and reached Spike's side.

" Spike. Spike." Spike snarled when Jet pulled at his arm and stepped infront of him, barring his way. " You know that barging off to Faye then yell at her will just pissed her even more. Getting angry at her is not the way to handle it."" Well, what the hell should we do? Slap her wrist and pat her on the head?" Jet scowled.

" No, that would only result in broken limbs and dislocated jaws." He frowned." And bullet holes." Spike merely stared at him. Jet raised both of his hands in a surrender motion.

" Find. Go ahead." He stepped out of the way and Spike if possible, Spike's mood became even more grumpy. " It's your funeral." Jet rubbed a big hand on his face. " This is going to be a disaster." He smiled. It was just like the old days all over again, but it usually was Spike who got yelled at by Faye and himself. He looked at Shin and Nathaniel, Horatio and the others had joined them. He grinned at the worried look on their faces.

" Well. Prepare to duck."

Spike opened the door of the bar so forcefully that the waiter that would've opened it for him was put off balance and almost fell to the floor still clinging to the door handle. The waiter sputtered an apology to empty air as Spike had already walked away from him. The bar was large and fancy, high ceilings and golden trimming with black, red and blue dominating the interior. There was a stained glass dome that reminded him uneasily of certain memories. The fluffy carpet on his feet were red and blue. There were tables on the floors, two bars following the curve of the walls, a gleaming wooden dance floor and a real live band at the back of the room. He spread his gaze towards the bar and found who he was looking for and his mood darkened even more.

Jet, Shin, and the others appeared at his side. Jet took one look at the situation at hand then raised his eyes to Spike's face and said something along the lines of: Oh, fuck. Shin and the others agreed with him but didn't utter a single word.Faye was wearing a silver glittery...handkerchief, if you want to be generous. It hung from the silver strings on her neck and another that went around her back. The skirt, if you could call it a skirt was also the same color and the same slinky material. It stopped just below her crotch. She completed the outfit with skyscraping black heels that made her long legs even longer, silver bangles that jingled on both her wrist, and silver hoops that hung on her ears. She wore a silver angklet on her left ankle. She had her hair up in a twisted, intricate braid and bun, held up by two black chopsticks. It left her neck,shoulders and back uncovered and with her back towards Spike and friends, they got a good look of those shoulders and back. Her shoulder blades moved as she accepted the champagne glass from a man that smiled at her. She ducked her head, smiling as she sipped on her champagne, the curve of her nape elegant and beautiful to look at. The clean lines of her back, the gentle curve of her hips was even more beautiful to look at. She said something and aimed a smile at the man that had blinded many others. The man shook his head and laughed. The others laughed with him. Others? Well, Faye seemed to gathered her own little entourage. She managed to slide onto a bar stool without flashing anybody and seemed to all the world of a queen holding court. The men around her hung on her every word, did all matter of little thing for her, like fetch her purse, pick up something which she had accidently dropped, buy her drinks.

Jet shook his head, _on other women, the outfit would've looked trashy. She made it looked like class. That figures._ It was pretty amusing to watch Faye in action, the way she fluttered about, flirted a little looking all shy and coy. _Look, I'm a helpless woman, Please take care of me._ And the man were all hooked. She didn't do anything blatant, she merely smiled, flirted a little, brought the men's attention to all her good points with innocent gestures and touches. Jet scoffed. _The woman uses her eyelashes like madames of old times uses their fans. _

But first things first, the guys around her seem oblivious to the dark and menacing presence that was currently shooting fire from his eyes. Faye didn't look like she realized anything off too, yet. It was on the third time they heard them laugh that Spike finally moved, he started to move forward just when Faye had also slid from her seat and stepped closer to the man that had brought her champagne who was still sitting beside her. She smiled up at him and stepped between the man's parted thighs. Spike's steps faltered and stopped when Faye lifted her hands and touch the man's face bringing his closer to hers. With him sitting on the stool, they were eye to eye, she touched her lips to his and her little court laughed and teased. The man didn't touch her but his fingers curled into fist as she moved even more closer and pressed her body to his. She slid her arms and wound them around his neck and matched her lip movements to his. The crowds around her hummed in appreciation. Some snickered and goodnaturedly gave out advices. The kiss, started to become more heated as they changed the angle of her kiss. The man's hands were on his thighs, clenching them tightly that his knuckles turned white. Faye smiled into the kiss, both of their eyes still opened when she did a little twist, raised herself on her tiptoes, and with a wicked glint in her eyes, ease herself down, slowly sliding herself down the man's body. Rubbing her body against his. The man jolted and made a move to grab her.

Jet swore he heard Spike growled low in his throat.

But as soon as the man touched her, Faye unfused their lips and snickered as the men around her laughed liked loons.

" Dammit." The man who had been kissing her swore but there was a twinkle in his eyes and he grinned goodnaturedly at the ribbings of his fellow friends. Faye still had her arms around his neck, she grinned at him.

" Come on, Danny boy. Don't be a sore loser. Order up." Danny boy shook his head at her but laughed when she rumpled his black curly locks and rolled big blue eyes at her.

" Fine." He leaned back at the bar and the bartender grinned at them. " We'll have three bottles of your finest champagne." Faye and the men cheered.

" God, bless you. Danny." She said and the men sniggered. Each of them raised their glasses to her. " To the fine kissing techniques of Ms. Valentine's. We bow to you." They chanted solemnly. Faye smirked. " Damn, well you should." Her only comment before she turned back to Danny and planted a wet, messy, noisy kiss right on his lips.

" Nice kissing you, Danny Boy." Danny blinked and grinned. He looked young and playful. " Nice kissing _you_, Ms. Valentine. Now, wanna try for a bottle of whiskey?" He waggled his eyebrows at her, she laughed and wanted to say something when she finally saw Spike. Her laugh faltered for a second but then returned with a vengeance.

It hurt to see the fake brightness of it but she determinedly looked away from them. Ignoring him. Jet, not wanting things to go even worse took a step towards her but Spike held up a hand. Jet looked at him warily, Spike's face was blank and didn't show hardly a thing.

" Faye." His voice was quiet but it carried over the music, over the muted conversations. Eyes glanced and widened at Spike, others gawked and brought their heads to whisper to eachother. 'Danny' and the group around her glanced at him, straightened, fidgeted. Only Faye looked calm with her back to him, sipping on her glass of champagne.

" Faye." Spike's voice was even more quiet and the men around her realized that he was calling the woman they were with. Danny looked at Spike and back at Faye. To his credit he merely seemed curious and interested. Faye finally turned in a slow movement. Her face compose, looking almost bored. Their eyes met and seconds ticked by.

" I'll wait for you in your room." His tone was still mild but the look in his eyes wasn't. Jet thought: Oh-oh. Faye didn't say a thing but turned her back on him again. Spike jaw muscles worked when Faye smiled up at Danny who lifted a brow at her.

The kid is either foolishly brave or didn't know who Spike was. Jet was betting on the former. There is no way he didn't know who Spike was, especially if he lived in Mars. Looking at the way of dress of the kid and his group, he did. Maybe he had a death wish or thinking on suicide. Maybe thought getting assasinated by the syndicate wouldn't be such a bad way to die.

Jet was ready to jumped on Spike if he did anything rash but when Spike moved, he merely turned back and walked his way back.


	19. The Long Night is Over

And try to understand there's an old mistake that fools will make

And I'm the king of them, pushing everything that's good away

So won't you hold me now?

Won't you hold me now?

Now, now, now, now, now

Bend and Not Break by Dashboard Confessional

Faye pressed the code to her hotel room, the door beeped and she opened the door. The room was dark and empty, she sighed and let the quiet and calmness of the room slid and rolled around her. She slid out of her jacket and let it dropped to the floor. She breathed in a deep long breath as she opened the french windows and let the night wind into the room. Shadows danced across her room, and moon light streamed down like a silver dream. She watched lights twinkle and died on the faraway ground, a mocking shadow of the stars above her.

She didn't expect him to come, her heart had jumped when she saw him in the bar, watching her. When he called her, it was a matter of principle that she ignored him. And she ignored his 'request' for meeting her in her room. She had stayed in the bar, playing pool and getting drunk with Danny, the braver one of the group. The other men, after realizing she had a connection with the syndicate, with the leader no less, probably thought that she was his mistress or something, had looked at her with cautious eyes. With worry in their eyes. Danny though, didn't seemed to mind, and apparently he also had family in the syndicate and he had made noises about joining one. Faye had frowned on that, he was such a nice boy, just out of college and they were out celebrating it when she had come upon them. He didn't have any business of joining a syndicate.

So she had stayed behind, stalling, waiting for Shin or Jet to come after her, but they didn't. She was relieved. She was.

Spike watched as Faye hugged her arms around her, her back to him. He had ordered Jet, Shin and the others to leave as soon as he had entered Faye's room. What he wanted to say to Faye, what they had to say to eachother was private. They didn't need witnesses. He'd practically slammed the door on their faces. He knew Faye would object to him 'ordering' her to follow him to her room, she was predictable that way. So he waited. He could afford to wait.

Faye shifted and leaned her right shoulder to the doorframe that led to the balcony, her head tilted to the right, touching her shoulder. Her hair was dark, almost black in the mellow light, the silver material of her dress glittered in the moonlight like crushed stars. The muscles on her back moved and shifted, Shadows made curves and dips on her skin, enhancing her still pale complexion, strands of hair escaped the artful braid of her hair spill down in a long dark line on her back. Her right foot was crossed behind her left one. The silhouette of her looked lonely. Spike desperately wanted to see her face.

" You're late."

Faye frozed, her muscles tensed and cursed herself for ever thinking that he would give up that easily. Cursed herself for dropping her guard. Again. Now that she knew he was there, she could suddenly detect him, where he was, there was a vibration in the air, a ripple. A scent of old leather and cigarettes. A light flare to life as she turned to meet the intruder. He was lighting a cigarette. The fire highlighted his eyes, his eyes that was focused on her, it gleamed with something that was not caused by the fire. He blew smoke out of his mouth, the match had flashed and died. The red glow at the end of a cigarette usually comforted her, but now it seemed menacing. Threatening. Just like the man in front of her. She stood where she was, in the light. Her dressed glittered around her, bouncing off lights as she moved.

" What are you doing here?" Her voice chilled, intentional, but it was starting to be a habit. Whenever she saw his face, she felt empty, all warmth disappeared from her body. She started to rub her arms but stopped and let her hands fall to her sides. Spike looked comfortable, even relaxed, right at home in her room. Since was is his hotel, she couldn't protest. He had ditched his coat, she saw now that it was lying on the sofa, the tie lying helplessly beside it. He was wearing a white shirt, the cuffs had been pushed to his elbows, the collar loosened, the first three buttons opened. If not for their surroundings, she thought that it was just like old times. But it wasn't, and it was all his fault.

The way he was looking right now was so much like the Spike she once knew, it shook her a bit. Unnerved her, like if she closed her eyes and open them again, these last two years had never really happen. That it was just a stupid dream. When she woke up, she would be in Bebop again, bitching and ruling over everybody in it. Stealing Jet's cash, Spike's cigarettes, Ein's food, and tricking Ed to be her pack mule.

But then she noticed their surroundings, his syndicate jacket, the weight and the tension in his shoulders that was never there before. She turned her eyes away from him.

" I told you I'd wait for you in your room, didn't I?" His voice came off lazy, casual like. She didn't trust it one bit. She crossed the length of the room to the bar at one of the corner of the living room and found that a large number of the bottles were gone. She turned and focused on Spike, she saw the glint and shine of bottles on the table beside him.

" Spike, are you drunk?" Spike sat back and crossed his ankle on his knee. " I had to do something while I was waiting for you, don't I? Besides, you know that it would need a lot more than a couple bottles of champagne to get me drunk." Faye poured herself two fingers of whiskey. She needed it, bad.

" What do you want?" She asked, still had her back to him. " Just some answers." She watched the play of light on the crystal decanter, heard the ice in her glass clinked together. " You lost the right to question me years ago, Spike." She felt the air moved and the fine hair behind her neck rose and turned quickly. Spike was standing behind her and she hadn't heard a thing. She stepped back.

_He's too close._

She tried to swallow the fluttering panic that bubbled up her throat. He stepped closer. There was still an appropriete amount of space between them, but it was still too close to her.

" What are you doing?" He raised a brow. " I'm getting myself something to drink." He took a step closer and she had trouble breathing. There was something, an aura, an air, a sort of pressure coming off of him. And it surrounded her, pressed against her. Suffocating her. She didn't like it. Even moving was difficult, the air felt thick with something unfamiliar, tension, heat. She rolled her shoulders, trying to ease the pressure, the air felt like it had weight.

" I think you've already had too much to drink." Faye felt the edges of the bar digging into her naked back, suddenly she felt too under dress, too vulnerable to fight with him now. " I'll call Jet to get you." She moved to the left and almost stepped into a wall, she turned back only to find that Spike had manuvered her into the corner and he was standing, blocking the only way out.

Faye tried to push her way through but Spike didn't budge and when she took a step back he followed her. Her heart was beating in her ribs like it was struggling to get out.

Spike felt strangely relaxed and at ease. He pressed closer to her and he drowned in the wonderful scent of her. It was a sweet, fresh flowery scent, something that tantalized and prodded your imagination. A scent that lingered in the air, stayed in your clothes. Lodged itself in your mind. He had first came upon it when he had held her in his arms in Magdelene's, even among the smell of gun powder and fresh blood, and the incense that was lit in the room, there was that scent, spreading in the air. It clung to his clothes and had stayed in his mind. He could smell it everywhere he went, surrounded him when he slept, it seduced his senses, played with his mind. It was one of the reasons why today, his mood was so foul.

" Spike." Her voice was tense and suspicious. " Get out of my way, will you? You're crowding me." Spike's answer to that was to stand even closer to her but him doing that opened a way for her escaped, she shifted but frozed when Spike leaned a bit closer to her. " What-."

" What _is_ that you're wearing?" He cut her off. She frowned, confusion won over nervousness for a minute before it came back screaming when Spike closed her fingers on her right arm. She swallowed a surprise gasp when he lifted a hand to pull the chopsticks from her hair. Her rich thick hair spilled over her back like a dark coat, his fingers tangled in them. " It's in your hair. On your skin." His breath felt hot on her neck, she stopped the urged to shudder. His fingers touched her nape. " It's stronger here." He brought his face closer to her neck, his lips brushed over her sensitive skin. His right hand slid upwards to the curve of her naked shoulders, down her equally naked back as he nudged her closer to him. With her high heels, they were almost eye to eye. Faye stumbled on her high heels and fell against him. She felt her heart jumped up her throat, she swallowed it down.

She stayed frozen on the spot, with him touching her skin with an intensity and gentleness that pricked her heart, that sadden her. She closed her eyes trying to let the big tide of sadness washed over her.

It was the slow gentle touch on her lips that had her opened it again.

" Don't." She wrenched herself from him and pushed him away. Spike held onto her, realized what he had done and closed his eyes and steadied himself. He took a long trembling breath and met her eyes.

" I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Faye." He tried to hold her but she pulled herself away from him. There was a world of hurt in her emerald eyes.

" You know I've cared for you once, even loved you a little but you threw it back in my face."

" I didn't-." He stopped at the sight of a lone tear that slided down her right cheek. Saw it caught the light and gleamed like a diamond. It squeezed at his heart, clenched his stomach. A sick ball of guilt churned his stomach.

" You went away to die, Spike. I think that was enough of a rejection." She brushed at the tear with her hand like it offended her. She lifted her chin.

" This night was my one night of rebellion. I won't disappear like that again. You don't need to-." She glanced away.

_Try to placate me by pretending to care._ _To use my feelings as a ball and chain. Try to use it against me._

" Just go, Spike. Go, please."

" Faye. We need to talk." She whirled around and crossed the room to the door. She opened it and a couple of seconds later, Casey, Sean, Nathaniel, Horatio, Tony, Shin, Tristan appeared at her doorway.

" Go, Spike." She leaned on the door, her hands pinned behind her. Spike slipped into his coat and stuffed his tie into his shirt pocket. He stopped in front of her and faced her. She stared at his neck. He lifted a hand and touched her hair that covered her face, he tucked it behind her ear, his fingers sliding to the nape of her neck. She didn't flinched from his touched but she didn't respond either. Her face was back to the blank mask she uses around him.

" We'll talk." She raised her eyes to his." No." He tightened his fingers on her nape.

" We'll talk about this, Faye. Tomorrow." She finally moved from his touch.

He didn't knew whether to be glad or sad.

" No, this discussion is closed." She shoved him out of the doorway and closed the door in front of his face. There was a lot of that going around. Spike stared at it a moment, he rolled his shoulders and shook his head. Trying to clear his head. He met Shin's eyes. Shin lifted an eyebrow.

" If she goes anywhere without escort again.." His voice trailed off, the look in his eyes was enough. Nathaniel, Sean, Horatio, Tony, Tristan and Casey nodded. " Don't fail me on this."

" We won't." Horatio assured him. Spike pinned him with a stare and turned. His scarred boots echoed on the hallway. Shin followed him like a quiet shadow.


	20. Thoughts of A Late Night

The angels they burn inside for us

Are we ever

Are we ever gonna learn to fly

The devils they burn inside of us

Are we ever gonna come back down - come around

I'm always gonna worry about the things that could break us

Angels and Devils by Dishwalla

Spike closed the door of his office and walked in, not bothering with turning on the lights. The majestic red beams glowed in the darkness, city lights twinkled back at him from outside his window. The brilliance of it highlighted his face as he stood in front of it. His office was blessedly quiet, there was an outworldy quality about the peace, the calmness of it.

_Like a dream._

He laughed, a soft breathy laughed. Cynical, almost bitter.

_His life was a dream, wasn't it? More like a nightmare. _

_It was a dream, wasn't it?_

Julia had whispered to him while her life slowly faded away, while warmth slipped away from her body, her hands. While the glow in her sapphire eyes that made her his Julia slowly faded from her eyes. Her sapphire eyes closed, and her body stilled. Even with her blood staining his hands, his clothes, the wet ground under them, she had looked almost peaceful. Her blond hair, streaked with sunlight, and glinted with raindrops still glowed, her mouth was still rosy and soft. The smell of jasmine and fresh rain rose around them. As the scent of fresh blood, and gunpowder.

His dreams of her, always begun with the exact moment she was shot, how her body had jerked, how time had stopped and her body fell forward in an agonizingly slow movement. How her blue eyes glazed over with pain. How the sunlight streamed down and caught the gold in her hair, the sudden burst of doves scrambling, flying, appearing from her back and flew around her, over her. The hurried sound of flapping wings and a sudden burst of wind.

There was blood in his hands, tears in her eyes, and white feathers falling. Fallen feathers decorated her hair, her face, falling like tears. Falling like snow.

_It was a dream, wasn't it?_

It took a near death experience for him to understand what she had meant. To understand that she didn't mean that 'life' is a dream. It was 'us' that was a dream. Those few lingering seconds in life where _we_ had met, fallen in love, betrayed eachother, and had parted ways. Those moments of shared laughters, of shared tears, of those nights of passion and whispered conversations. Those moments where they had allowed themselves to love, to dream about a life of their own without anyone else between them. She had meant that, that was a dream. For it had felt so good when it lasted. Too good to ever last. Too good to be real.

He didn't understand that back then, he had misunderstood, but it had made sense to him. After the syndicate, he had traveled, just passing the time, just trying to find something. Then he met Jet. His life was good enough, he had food, he had enough money, he had a roof over his head. Jet was okay for an old guy, he was gruff but his heart was soft. They had became partners.

Years had come and go. Then Ed and Ein had come along. Then Faye had appeared out of nowhere. All guts and glory. All fire and wit. All brash talk and sass. She had broken his seemingly peaceful existance, his need for peace and quiet. And he couldn't ignore her.

Jet, Jet he could tolerate. The guy cooked, cleaned, fixed and he didn't talk much. Jet, he could tolerate.

Ed and Ein were a, they were a distraction. It amused him to watch them make Jet crazy, hear her whine and her usually excessive noises. Plus, she got skills.

But Faye, from the moment she had stepped into the Bebop and claimed a room for herself. She had prodded, poked, make fun, pushed his buttons, irritated, annoyed him to the brink where he was forced to _feel_ again. Even though those feelings were anger most of the times. She had always managed to snapped him back to reality. Reminding him that not all of his life was a dream. Surely if it _was_ a dream, he wouldn't dream of something like _Faye_.

The woman had a potty mouth, not to mention the dedication to use it everytime she opened her mouth. She had a sneaky mind, which he had to admit eventhough only to himself he respected, she was obnoxious, greedy, itchy fingers that always relieved him of his last cigarettes, and was always _starving_.

Spike blinked and realized he had almost described himself, he smiled at that.

But Faye had her moments, she had always pull her own weight, bring down bounties, shared what she got out of it, and then tricked Jet to return it to her after a satisfying game of poker or whatever. Jet had never got a clue, or knowing Jet, he knew but he just didn't mind.

No, Faye was real. She is real. And she had felt real.

Just remembering how her skin had felt under his hands made his fingers tingled all over again. Like his fingers were just one big nerve, coming to life by the touch of her skin against his. That was new. This sudden appreciation of her, this sudden..outlook of her.

Faye was always a knock out, she had been from the first time he had saw her. He wasn't blind, he noticed the delectable package that was Faye Valentine. He had, did and still do. The only reason why he had such great satisfaction in proving to her he didn't give a damn about it was that he didn't understand her. He didn't. He didn't understand this woman who was The wicked bitch of the Bebop then an innocent lost girl the next. She had too many layers, too many faces, too. It was never what you look is what you get with Faye. Sometimes she screams at you like a banshee then the next she would just looked at you with her wide emerald eyes that looked so old and so ancient. She unnerved him and he didn't like that one bit.

But weeks turned to months, and things began to unraveled and he had understood a little bit more about the woman and the girl that was Faye Valentine, and what he'd known made her seemed more approachable, made her more of someone from his own world.

He'd never understood her obsession with her past. He didn't understand why she had to know. But then again, he wasn't one to talk because he was still hung up on his. On Julia.

When Julia had died, all of his past died with her. But he wanted revenged, wanted to end it once and for all. Call it closure, call it satisfaction. Whatever. But he needed to end it all. That need was a hot clenching fist in his stomach.

And he had taken another step to understand that weird creature that was Faye Valentine.

Spike leaned his hips on the edge of his desk and blew out a cloud of grey smoke tinged with blue from the dim lights overhead. He took a deep breath and found himself suffocated with the scent of the woman that was currently haunting his thoughts. He almost laughed, and shook his head. He raised the front of his shirt and sniffed. A brush of that quiet texture of her scent waffed back to his nostrils. He scratched his head, messing his hair even much more of a mess.

The first time he had realized that he was surrounded with her scent, he took a shower and changed his clothes. But it was no good, it clung to his nose, to his mind and it had followed him every second of the day. It had distracted him, unnerved him like she always did, made him stumbled and stutter in the weirdest of moments.

Before this, everytime her name was mentioned, there was something in his stomach that jumped, rolled over then settled quietly. But lately, that something jumped, bounced around, stumbled, got ran over by a bus, trampled by a stampede, then just as it managed to stand by its own to feet, crashed against a train leaving a whimpering, pathetic mass of nerves in its wake. It was hell to his digestion. He rubbed his uneasy stomach, he could actually hear its scream for mercy.

He didn't know what happen tonight. He didn't know why he had touched her that way. He had needed to touch her, to surround himself with her scent. To feel her.

Most of all, he needed to know that she still cared.

_You knew I cared for you once. Maybe loved you a little but you threw it back on my face._

He knew. Yes, he knew that she had cared. Cared enough that he could turned his back on her even though she had held a gun at him. He trusted her enough not to shoot him, trusted her enough to eventually forgive him for walking out on their little dysfunctional family.

He didn't knew that she had cared enough to be hurt. He didn't know that he could hurt her that much, that the wound was still open, that the wound was still bleeding. He didn't count on that. Like he didn't count on her not to forgive him. But it seem he had hurt her too much for her to give him that forgiveness.

But he would earn it. He never mind working hard for something that was worth it and Faye was worth it.

Spike pushed himself up and his hand touched something. He looked at it. It was the chip that was sent to Faye, he had never gotten around to watch it. He sat down on his chair and inserted the chip to his desk computer but before he got any further, there was a knock on his door. Shin entered.

" Spike, you have a late nighter with Jason." Spike blinked and sighed.

_Guess, he had to wait to see what's inside it then. _

He nodded to Shin and slipped the chip to his pocket.

_I'll check it out later._


	21. Take A Breath

Ride on a carpet ride

High on the tears you cried

One's just too many

But a thousands not enough

And you can't make up your mind

Playing blind mans bluff

And you best believing

That all that's good is inside of you

Yeah, inside of you

"Ain't Enough" by Aerosmith

Faye knocked on the door of her body guards room wearing old black jeans and a comfortably snug black T-shirt that must've been made for a six year old. The thing was_ tiny. _It had the inscription, "When God made boys She was only joking." splattered on the front of it in big bold red letters. Faye had took one look at it and cackled. It was her favorite T-shirt. Her feet was encased in black sneakers.

Horatio took one look at her stared. She quirked an eyebrow as she pushed him inside and closed the door.

" What?" she asked petulantly. Shades covered her green eyes. Her violet hair hung at her back in a complicated braid. She couldn't have look anymore unFaye-like than if she wore a clown suit. Nathaniel stood from his seat and peered at her.

" Faye?" he asked dubiously. Sean, Casey, Tony and Tristan huddled at the sofa and looked at her suspiciously.

" Are you going undercover?" Tony asked. Faye blinked her eyes then huffed. " Give me a break guys. I don't go looking like a million dollars everytime I open my door. Besides, I'm going to a place where I don't need to dress up."

" Are you going to a nunnery?" Sean asked and the others snickered. Sean looked at them strangely 'cause he wasn't joking. Faye smirked. She leaned away from Horatio when he leaned closer to her face.

" You're not even wearing make up." he said. Surprise tinged his voice. Faye patted her face with her fingers.

" You have to give time for the pores to breathe." She said lightly. She took stock of them and shook her head.

" Do you guys have any simple ordinary everyday clothes." When they merely stared at her she rolled her eyes.

" This is our ordinary-" She lifted a hand, Tristan smiled at the disgusted look on her face. " What I meant was something that does not say syndicate or hired gun or body guard."

" We have tuxedo's." Casey said helpfully. Faye let out a long surrendering sigh." We have ordinary clothes, Ms. Valentine. We'll change if you only tell us where we going." Horatio inquired. Faye sat on the arm of the sofa where Casey was sitting, she smiled at him. Casey smiled back and angled his head, wondering about her chirpy mood.

" I need to take a breather. You guys know where The Bebop docked?" They nodded. " Good, I want to go there." Horatio nodded.

" We'll change, then." She nodded and waved them off, frowning at her fingernails. Horatio heard her mutter something like: I need a manicure.

Casey stared into the distance, he was dressed in a black T-shirt and black jeans. His also had a clever remark embossed on the back of his T-shirt saying " I'm a bom technician. If you see me running, be sure to follow.". Sean grinned at Casey's back and did an undignified little hop while putting on his jeans. He wore a black shirt and black sacks.

" She's okay, right?" Casey turned toward the guys. They stopped momentarily at whatever they were doing. They knew why Casey was thinking about her. They had seen the way she had looked last night when she closed her door after she'd pushed Spike away. She had looked so damn tired. Bone deep tired.

And when dawn broke over the night, they heard her cry. Deep, wrenching, painful sobs. The kind that rips at your throat and left your heart bare as it broke to tiny little pieces. Everyone had paused when they heard it over the state-of-the-art surveillance system that they had installed in her room. They had looked at eachother and had listened it to the desperate helpless sound of it. Horatio turned the surveillance system off to give her privacy and nobody protested. It had settled a cloud of gloom on their room as everybody shuffled and moved around as silently as possible.

" She'll handle it." Horatio tied his golden long hair back in a pony tail and buttoned his black long sleeved shirt. He smoothed down his collar.

Faye took one look at them and clapped a hand on her eyes and shook her head.

" Do you guys own anything that is not black?" They blinked and looked at eachother. True enough they were all wearing black.

" Well, you're wearing black." Tristan said like that explained everything. Faye lifted a brow. " And what, that because you're my body guards we should match?"

The guys grinned. Tony shrugged," Something like that." Faye chuckled. " Yeah, well. Okay, let's go then." Atleast it was casual clothes though they still looked like bodyguards anyway. And very syndicate looking. Nothing she could do about that. She glanced at Casey who chortled.

" What?" He grinned and pointed at the writing of her T-shirt. " Very profound." He turned his back on her and her eyes fell to his back, and the letters scrawled around it. She snorted and laughed when Casey turned his back and and pretended to be offended.

The trip to Thareal, where Bebop was dock took an hour and a half but it wasn't a boring journey. Casey and Faye grew to be as thick as thieves as they found out they have the same twisted and often times crude humor. They exchanged dirty limericks and lewd jokes that even embarrassed the other guys though they couldn't help but laughed.

Then they talked shop which is why Nathaniel was poking his fingers on Faye's hair, carefully parting the braids, his face closed to her head. Faye snickered.

" You won't find anything, Nathaniel. I didn't hide anything there. Or anywhere else. I didn't bring any weapons with me." The guys straightened. Sean who was on the wheel swerved sharply to the left before righting himself again.

" Jesus Christ. Sean!" Tony hit the side of his head. Sean mumbled a sorry.

" You didn't bring anything? Not even one of your sharp pointy things?" Casey gaped at her, his hands lifted up as if holding something. Faye shook her head and smile at their obvious disbelief.

" Why?" Horatio frowned at her. She shrugged.

" Just didn't feel like it. Besides, I'm going to Bebop." She said Bebop like everyone else said _home_. She smiled, " And I got you guys to protect me." She fluttered her eyelashes.

_I shouldn't have told them that I didn't bring a gun._

The car was suddenly silent, they all looked so serious and the harmless comfortable air that surrounded them had dissappated. In its place was a dark and menacing aura that seemed to radiate from each and everyone of them. They had changed into bodyguard mode. Faye sighed, crossed her arms in front of her and fought the urge to pout.

She looked at the parting crowds infront of them. Horatio was walking infront of them with big and purposeful steps, all and the crowd gave him wide berth and parted like he was Moses and the crowd was the red sea. The sun was burning bright though it was still seven o'clock in the morning. There were people in long flowing robes, summer dresses and flashy colors. Cheerful, nice, and here they were in their black outfits and shades, their towering build and threatening air. Some of the smile wilted, lost it's shine and glitter as they passed. People shuffled, turned away, hid their faces, tried to ignore them. Faye couldn't think of a life where people would look with fear in their eyes everytime you turn.

_But whatever works._

They had found Bebop without much fuss which was find with her. Jet had opened and invited her in and scowled at her body guards.

" They are not coming in." Jet glowered at her. Faye shrugged. " At least let them step into the deck. Jet pondered.

" Do you want them to attract attention standing here near Bebop?" Faye widened her eyes at him and he caved.

" Fine. Just on the deck." Faye smiled sweetly at him and kissed his cheek. " I missed you, Jet." Jet's scowl didn't have a chance. He softened and wrapped his arm around her. The guys looked on with interest at the seemingly hard, harsh and always in a bad mood Jet Black warmed to the woman in his arms.

" Are you hungry?" Faye grinned. " Have I ever been not hungry?" Jet chuckled.

" Right. Stupid question." He put and arm around her shoulder. " What do you want to eat?"

" Jet, please. Can you cook anything beside's pepper and beef?" Jet smirked. " As a matter of fact.." They went arm in arm into the Bebop leaving her body guards standing in the entrance. They looked at eachother. Horatio nodded his head towards the deck.

After a spectacular lunch that consist of fried chicken rice and spicy crab soup, and had praised Jet everytime she spooned a mouthful of it much to Jet's delight and embrassment, she had looked around what was once and still was her home. She had sighed over the kitchen table that was so scarred and scratched and cracked that it shouldn't be used anymore. She and Spike and Jet had a lot of fights here, over a plate of food, a cup of coffee, a bad night, a bad morning, well, pretty much over everything. She ran her hands over the right corner of it where Ed had carved all of their names, it looked messy and clumsy since she had done it with a big ass butcher knife. She still remembered how Jet, Spike and herself dragged themselves to the kitchen after a hard night, all heavy eyed and ready to kill the thing that was making such an awful noise then saw Ed with the glory of her red hair and gleeful grin holding a butcher knife in her hand. They were all stunned and was deeply afraid, thought the kid had finally snapped and went all psycho on them.

But Ein had whined and put his nose on the corner of the table and panted at them. They had looked and stared.

Jet had huffed and bluster about her destroying their table, Spike had immediately claimed she had lost her mind and wrestled the knife from Ed's hand and Faye had just smiled and she also knew that they were also touched by it but was just too manly to admit it.

Then there were the living room, the yellow couches was still there, the table and the flat screen too, the fan was still doing a lousy job lame ass job of producing air. She tossed herself on the yellow couch, she couldn't count on how many times she had lied down on this particular couch and stared at this particular view. She had been all around the universe, had seen a lot of things but it was this view that she had missed the most. The naked ceiling and the slowly rotating fan. She took a deep breath and smelled the hint of leather and cigarettes. She had unconciously mirrored him, how she used to lie on the couch, now all she needed was a cigarette, but she had quit smoking mainly because of that. Because the smell of it reminded her to much of him. Of Spike. She closed her eyes and the instant she did, she remembered the touch of his hands, large and rough-skinned, with their long fingers and wide palms, skimming her arms, her naked shoulders and naked back. The warmth of of his breath, the intensity in his eyes.

"Faye?" She opened her eyes." Yeah, I'm here." She straightened and sat back on the couch and saw Jet looking for her from the kitchen. He was staring.

" What?"

" Huh?" Faye gave him a crooked smile. " Shit, Jet. Are you growing senile on me?" The frown on Jet's face made her laugh. Jet's dark eyes skimmed over her.

_That position, that smile. She's beginning to be like Spike every second of the day. I almost got a heart attack seeing her lying on the couch like that, just like the way Spike did._

Jet shook his head.

_It was they way she looked at you, the way her lips lifted, the shadows in her eyes. They were alike whether they liked it or not. At least she's not as reckless as he is, though that's not saying much._

" Say, Faye." She gave him a distracted glance, she was watching something on the flatscreen. " Huh?"

" You remember the good old days when you still live here and have chores. What were your chores back then?" He casually asked. She still had her attention on the flatscreen, she had angled her head sideways, and a frown marred her smooth forehead. " I did laundry." Jet smirked and walked to her carrying a big basket.

" Good. Get to it then. You know, reminiscenced." She dropped the big basket infront of her and narrowly missed her feet. She blinked.

" Huh? What? Jet. Yo, man. Come on!"

Jet's laugh echoed down the hallway.

Disclamair: NOT MINE!!!!

Author notes: Guys..give me room to breath, especially you zottie..you mean, mean person!!! LOL, and thanks for all the review, you guys.!! Love you all..


	22. Decisions, Decisions

Disc: NOT MINE! DON'T SUE!

Faye had tumbled onto the deck with the fresh laundry. She didn't really mind doing it. In fact she was pretty glad to do it Jet had expected her to whine about it so she obliged. She sighed as a cool breeze brushed her skin and felt the beginnings of a genuine content smile began on her face. She heard the screams of sea gulls and the sound of water, sunlight poured and trickled down like molten gold. She took a deep breath and the smell of salt, sweat, food and tanning oils attacked her senses and not even the the sweat gathering at the top of her waistbands managed to bother her.

The six black clad men with guns that instantly stood up when they saw her however, did. When Horatio reached his hands out to lift the basket from her arms she growled.

" No. Sit down. Guys, really. Sit down. Relax." She shoo-ed them away. When they didn't budge and just stood there staring at her, she almost screamed in frustration.

" Guys, don't ruin this day for me. Please. Just sit down. I want to forget everything just for today, just for these few hours okay. Act like you're ordinary people." They saw the urgency in her eyes. Heard the pleading in her voice. And they had also saw the content on her face earlier. They settled themselves the way they were before she had came. Nathaniel had sat near the edge of the water watching the seagulls fly and the play of light on the water, lost in his own thoughts. Tony and Casey was playing with a deck of cards, they had found on the nearby table. Casey and Sean were talking about girls, shirts opened, lying in the sun, sunglasses covering their eyes. Horatio was standing watch over at the other edge of the deck, observing the crowd.

Faye knew they were still watching her but atleast they were as relax as they could be. She walked towards the clothes lines and put the laundry basket near her feet as she snapped and spread and hung and clipped the laundry. They were mostly white shirts and white sheets. A lot of white sheets. Faye suspected that Jet had probably took all the linen from his cabinet, rumpled all of them with his hands and dropped them into the basket, just so she'd have a lot of them to do. She was touched in her own kind of weird way. She smiled when a tune came and went with the wind, someone was listening to music, at a loud volume since she could hear it pretty clear. It was an old tune, classic with jazzy pianos and lazy drums. It suited her mood and she hummed to it as she bend over the waist to lift another white sheet.

_I'm all at sea_

_Where no-one can bother me_

_Forgot my roots_

_If only for a day_

_Just me and my thoughts sailing far away_

A gust of wind blew over the sheets and her now loose hair, the sheets billowed and flapped, her hair snapped and flirted over her face. The white sheets bounced off the rays of sunlight and she squinted her eyes. Who knew the most peace she had ever known, had ever had, was doing laundry, in a rusted boat/spaceship, alone, and six syndicates actually watching her back. She chuckled.

_Like a warm drink it seeps into my soul_

_Please just leave me right here on my own_

_Later on you could spend some time with me_

_If you want to_

_All at sea_

She had needed this, to take a breath from everything, from always having to watch her back, of feeling insecure when she didn't hold a gun, of wondering what tomorrow would bring. Now, there was only the soft, fresh scent of laundry, the sharp hot feel of the sun against her skin, the moisture of her sweat slowly sliding on her back, the sound of water and the murmers of far away conversations.

_You don't need it every day_

_But sometimes don't you just crave_

_To disappear within your mind_

_You never know what you might find_

_So come and spend some time with me_

_We will spend it all at sea_

She was so please with herself, with her laundry, with the whole world in fact that she turned to the guys and offered them food and drinks. Nathaniel shrugged.

" Yeah, sure."

She made them sandwiches and brought them beer, Jet had complained but she had smiled at him and he gave up. He had even threw in a couple bag of chips. They accepted it and after watching them eat she had laid on her back near the clothe-lines to watch the sheets flapped in the wind, covered her eyes with one arm and settled down to sleep.

_Like a warm drink it seeps into my soul_

_Please just leave me right here on my own_

_Later on you could spend some time with me_

_If you want to_

_All at sea_

She was woken up by a rough voice and gentle hands. She opened her eyes.

" What are you doing, woman? Trying to fry your ass?" Jet crouched beside her, shading his eyes with his right hand. She blinked.

" What time is it?"

" Time for you to come inside and get your ass off my boat. I have shopping to do." Faye pouted and crossed her arms infront of her while still lying on the deck. Jet smiled.

" You can come by later." Faye sighed and shrugged, he pulled at her out stretched hand. She stretched and moved her limbs.

" See you around then, Jet." Jet grinned. " Yeah, see you around." The both of them grinned eachother.

_It was nice to be able to say that, like they could see eachother whenever they wanted. _

Faye looked over her shoulder and found her six shadows already standing behind her.

" Well, let's go boys."

_It's show time._

Author notes: This is short..yeah it is, it's just one session where Faye can relax, and me too...it was relaxing writing this. Anyway, exciting stuffs will continue...say tuned! Hm, and the song is All at Sea by Jamie Cullum, really a great song to relax with, work, and take a bath..well pretty much everything. I love him.


	23. Nothing is what it seems

Disc: NOT MINE! DON'T SUE!

She's a mystery

My most beautiful regret

I will never understand her

She's a mystery

The only promise I can keep

Even in my dreams she ruins me

I still don't know what to call her

She says that words don't mean a thing

She changes her name every day

And lies all the time

" She's a mystery" Bon Jovi

"Tell me why we have to do this again?" Spike whispered out of the corner of his lips to Jason, who was standing on his left, while mantaining a charming smile. Jason, an easy smile on his own face, whispered back, " Because this is what bussiness is all about. Schmoozing with big important people. Kiss a lot of ass."

They were in one of the executive penthouses of Jason's hotels, one of his many around the planet, having a civilised and business thing lunch event.

Spike nodded to a man in his fifties, an ambassoder of some sorts and sipped his champagne. He flicked a wry glance to Jason who was wearing an elegant three piece white bussiness suite with a silver cravat,a diamond stud and cufflings.

" I thought we _are_ one of those important people." Spike fingered his black suit and touched his red tie. He had been doing this for a year and a half but he still wasn't really used to it, though that didn't show much from the outside. Jason waved gracefully to a number of aquaintences, smiled and flirted and shook hands with an ease that Spike almost envy.

" Glad you seem to enjoy yourself." Spike muttered darkly. Jason gave him a sly smile.

" We do what we do best, Spike. Me, I'm the business man. I am the one who talks good game and bring in money while you, well, you do the I-am-dangerous-dark-and-handsome-and-I-will-kill-you-if-you're-not-careful very well. Smile, Spikey." Spike glowered at him.

" You're the only one who can call me Spikey and live." Jason merely laughed. " You've made Constance angry by not appearing with a date and upsetting his carefully planned seating arrangements." Spike's mood even grew darker. Constance was Jason's precious assistant, and he was Caro's, his secretary's, brother. Caro will also give him grief about that.

" Atleast I came, didn't I?" Spike shifted uneasily in his feet. The last time Constance was angry at him, well, it wasn't pretty. The man and his brother doesn't seem to take him being the leader of a syndicate very seriously.

" Yes, and I'm very grateful that you did. There's the bell, chin up. Spike." Jason pat his back. Spike frowned. Jason always had a knack of making him feel like a three year old everytime he said something negative. Must be why he's so good at what he does. Spike followed Jason struggling not to pout. He didn't actually meant to come but Jason had made him sucessfully drunk last night so he was a bit slow in escaping this morning. He shuffled his feet.

_Damn manipulative bastard!_

Jason turned back and smirked like he had read his mind.

_Knowing Jason, it was probably true._

" Don't look so gloomy, Spike or you'll frightened our guest. Besides, I have a surprise for you and maybe if you're nice she'll stay and Constance wouldn't be so mad at you." Spike stopped and groaned.

" Jason, you're not match making are you?"

" Maybe, but I'll think you'll be please with this one. Now, come along." He clapped his hands towards Spike and made Spike say something really vile. Jason laughed.

They had stepped into a sun filled room with tropical plants and exotic blooms. A fountain made of marble trickled softly and japanese koi's swimming cheerfully in their depths. Scents and smells assaulted the ooh-ing and aah-ing guest, impressed with the fancy settings. Shadows from green tall trees and plants shaded the lunch table with their white Irish lace and linens. Flowers burst here and there in a celebration of colors in centre pieces and decorative bouquets for the ladies in their rich silks and expensive jewels glinting in the shafts of light spraying from the glass dome above them. Rainbows flirted down and played over them and under them, biased by the crystal facets hanging from the chandelier that hung above their table. The air was warm and spicy, the jungle looking plants added a bit of a wild atmosphere. It looked like in any moment jungle animals would sprung out of it and watched them with feral eyes.

" Hm. Constance outdid himself." Spike cocked an eyebrow at the setting. Jason appraised the scene with a cool eye, missing nothing and nodded in approval.

" Yes, he was a bit miffed about you telling him that his last setting was cliche." There was a note of warning in Jason's voice Spike pursed his lips and refrained himself from saying: He started it. Spike and Constance had an ongoing feud, Spike takes great pleasure in ribbing Constance about his skills, and Constance, being a gentleman that he was, merely tried to outdo himself and prove that he could do better. Then tattle to Caro who will continue to make Spike's life a living hell. It was all a vicious cycle and they all enjoyed it tremendously.

" If you sit me next to that woman I am going to hurt her." Spike hissed when he reached Jason's side after dislodging a catty looking woman with brown hair from his body. Jason eyes flickered to the woman and smiled.

" Her husband is one of my best investors."

" Then he better keep an eye on her."

Jason grinned. " It's your own fault. You're too handsome that she just can't help herself. Don't worry. She's very far away from you." Jason's eyes slid away and to look at something behind Spike and gave a hum of male appreciation.

" Besides, I think she can protect you." Spike frowned and looked over his shoulder.

Faye Valentine smiled at a flower blooming beside where she was standing, stopped and leaned over to sniff. She sighed at the soft brush of rose petals on her face and the frail scent of roses. A waiter appeared at her side and asked whether she wanted some cut for her. She thought about it but shook her head. The waiter nodded and offered her a glass of champagne. She murmured a thank you before she turned to the room.

And that was how Spike saw her, standing under a tree framed by violet wisteria's the color of her hair. She was wearing a white off shoulder dress, with small, short, puffy sleeves that hung on her forearms, the bodice was snug and tight but the skirt fell under it in soft waves and stopping just above her knees. On her feet was low heel mule slip ons also the color white. Her long hair was gathered just above her nape in a half bun, letting soft curls fell over themselves and her shoulders and spilled over her back.

_There were flowers in her hair._

White almost cream-ish flowers, tucked into the bun where they spread over into a beautiful bouquet, the glimpse of her violet hair against all of that white was startling. Without her hair framing her face, her face looked soft, almost fragile, her emerald eyes looked bigger, her cheekbones more delicate. Her neck was long and slender, and her shoulders round and female-like.

_She looks.. small._

Her skin looked smooth and she looked like she had gotten some sun that it was more cream than pale. Her make up was sparse. A hint just here and there, her lips looked unpainted but was pink and moist.

And then she smiled and just as suddenly, Spike seemed to caught her scent in the air. Beckoning, like a soft hand just grazing his skin. The other woman in the room paled to comparison, and looked almost overdressed in their silk and jewel tone colors, their heavy make up and glittering jewels. He jumped when a shrill ringing sound was heard. He patted his suit and got his comlink.

" Yeah?" He asked distractedly as he watched Faye walked acrossed the room towards him.

" Spike, it seems that Ms. Valentine-"

" Yeah, I know." Spike cut of Shin's explanation and pressed the button for off, put it back in his jacket pocket just as Faye reached his side. She had a smile on her face that made Spike blinked at her.

" Spike." Spike nodded and almost leaned closer to take a sniff. He managed to stopped himself.

" Faye, uhm. What are you doing here?"

" I invited her." Jason explained. " Hello, Ms. Valentine, you looked just as beautiful as the last time I saw you. I gather you're well." He reached for a hand and kissed her hand in a courtly fashion.

" I am, thank you for asking, and thank you for the invitation." Jason nodded. " Though I am pretty surprise you accepted it." Faye slid her eyes to Spike's face who was looking at her with a concentration of a bom technician handling a bom, and returned her eyes to Jason's.

" Spike and I have much to discuss. It was an oppurtunity too good to pass." Jason lifted a brow and smiled a flirtatous smile.

" I am confident that you only need to crook a finger for every man to follow, Ms. Valentine. Such beauty as yours does not deal with pesky things like rejection." Faye merely gave him an enigmatic smile.

" Are you hungry?"

Faye laughed.

" Spike can tell you, Jason that I am _always_ hungry." Spike snorted and gave a crooked smile.

" That's true." Tawny and emerald eyes met, both warm with humor. Jason looked at both of them and inched back.

" Well, I'll leave you to tell Constance that he should get lunch ready. Excuse me. Spike, you will escort Ms. Valentine-"

" Please, call me Faye." Jason nodded and gave her a pleased smiled. " Faye- to the table." They watched him go, a bounce in his step.

" He's match making."

Faye angled her head. " I know."

" He probably thinks you're my ex or something."

Faye turned to touch an orchid. The petals felt velvety in her hand.

" You never told him of your cowboy days?"

Spike stood beside her looking down at the top of her head. The scent of her enveloped them, like a privacy curtain parting them from the outside world.

" Ofcourse."

Faye rubbed her face to the soft petals and tilted her head slightly to him. Her emerald eyes bright. " Then you've never told him about me?"

Spike cupped her elbow." I never told anyone about you."

She turned to him, they're bodies close but not yet touching.

" Why?" she asked, her voice soft. Spike opened his mouth and closed it.

" Why are you here, Faye?"

" Jason invited me."

Spike tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. " And you're such great friends that you can't refuse?"

" You're here." She said simply. Spike lifted an eyebrow. " And you wanted to see me?" A crooked, bitter smile appeared in his face. She lifted her head and looked at him straight in the eyes.

" Yes."

He took a deep breath. " Why?"

The privacy bubble burst when a sound of a gong echoed in the air and people started to moved to the tables. They stayed where they were, Spike looking at her, trying to search her face. Faye watching the men and women around them. She leaned towards him and lifted her right hand and touched his left arm.

" I trusted you once, Spike. I'm trusting you again." She lifted her face towards him and their eyes met for a second, her eyes were naked, no shields, no shutters. He touched her fingers with his right hand and pressed them. Feeling the weight of her hand and the trust in them.

" I won't disappoint you again."

She stepped closer and leaned her head on his shoulder just for a moment. " I know."

They walked to the table, hearts less heavy, atittudes more relaxed. Spike was seated on Jason's left and Faye sat beside him. When Spike pulled out a chair for her, Faye looked at him. The suspicious look in her eyes made Spike smiled.

" What, noone ever treated you like a lady before, Faye." His crooked grin in full force. Faye lifted her chin. The changed from familiar strangers to old friends were smoothly done.

" Oh, they are lots, I just never thought you would be one of them. I never thought you as a gentleman, Spike." Spike rolled his eyes when she smirked.

" Just sit on the damn chair, Faye." Faye snickered but sat. " Hey, who's that brown haired chick, that keep glaring at me?" She leaned to whisper over to Jason. Jason grinned.

" Protect me from her." Spike muttered. Faye and Jason laughed.

Author notes:

Ooh..twenty three...chapter twenty three (amaze), anyway, just wanna say thank you for all the lovely reviews and not so lovely reviews...

What's this? Faye..surrendering..Just like that??? No way in hell...stay tuned guys..

( to 'some guy', the least you can do when you sprout so much venom is log in so I can read some of yours, then I can compare and learn, if you merely going to just blah blah, then take it somewhere else. You can't finish reading my fanfic..and yet you reviewed at chapter 22, a bit odd, don't you think?)

To swimming bird, thank you for your long review, love it so much. Quick toss in more reasons! LOL.

To moonwhisper..yeah grammers, is my kryptonite...forgive me for my errors..And I'm just to damn lazy to edit. It's a curse...

To all: Thank you...for all your reviews and for reading my first fanfiction EVER, I never expected to be this accepted. Thank you so much.


	24. Changes

This is the last time

That I'm ever gonna come here tonight

This is the last time - I will fall

Into a place that fails us all - inside

I can see the pain in you

I can see the love in you

But fighting all the demons will take time

It will take time

This is the last time

That I'm ever gonna give in tonight

Are there angels or devils crawling here?

I just want to know what blurs and what is clear - to see

Angels and Devils by Dishwalla

A couple of days passed since the lunch thing, Spike and Faye had several meetings, Jet and Ed tagged along to talk about the Alligieri's fascination with her. Jet was confused but happy they settled things between themselves, and Ed was just plain estatic that they were all together again. One big happy family.

Jason invited her yet again to a closing party of a merger and Spike asked whether she wanted to come with him. She agreed. The event was filled with important people and boring speeches. The only highlight of the night for Spike was the food and Faye's constant and uncanny mimicry of the people around them. They snickered and smirked together at the posh attitudes of his business partners, irritate Constance, and poked fun at Jason who frowned, trying to keep them at line and failed tremendously.

Faye unlocked the door to her room.

" Are you telling me with all that money, you sleep in your office?" She swept into her penthouse, her ball gown swishing around her. Spike followed behind her, his red bow tie already a distant memory in his hand. He grinned.

" Yeah. I do own a house..somewhere." Faye rolled her eyes," but I spend a lot of my time at the office so..." He shrugged but lifted his head and saw her staring at him.

" What?" he asked as he stepped closer to her. She gave him a little smile and shook her head.

" It's nothing." She turned towards the bar, took off her wrapped and draped it over a sofa, she balanced herself holding on the edge of the bar as her fingers nimbly released the clasp of her high heel shoes. She sighed as she curled her toes and stepped on the cream carpet.

" You want a drink?" She pulled the corked out of a crystal decanter and poured two glasses of whiskey without waiting for an answer. She turned and caught him smiling. She lifted an inquiring eyebrow and he chuckled.

" You matched the furniture."

She blinked and looked down at her dress. She was wearing a cream colored dress. The upper dress was corset style, the stiff material stretched over her front and stop on each each side inches apart. A strip of her back was decorated with black ribbons and thin ropes that criss-crossed along her back from just below her sholder blades to the curve of her hips. The skirt billowed and ballooned to the floor, embroidered with black threads and black lace. A black lace wrap and a dainty fan made out of, well, black lace completed her dress. The cream silk looked warm against her skin, it slithered and tangled around her when she had danced with various men at the party.

Faye grinned. " Guess, surrounded by it made me partial to the damn color."

Spike took the glass that she offered and watched her as she walked around the love seat he was sitting on, she sat on a sofa infront of him, shoulders bare, arms equally bare curled on her lap, her right hand elbow planted on the arms of the sofa as she shifted and curled her legs under her billowing skirt.

She sipped on whiskey and avoided his eyes for the millionth time that night. Spike swallowed a sound of frustration and counted to ten. Faye wasn't the only one who'd gotten patient these two years and Spike figured he would need a lot of that to handle Faye.

She said that she was trusting him again, but she didn't really, she still had the suspicious, guarded look in her eyes. Whenever he stepped closer to her, her eyes became wary, and if he touched her, she stiffened. It was frustrating but he knew she needed time, she was trying, but lately Spike had a niggling suspicioun that she had other motives. A hidden agenda.

Sometimes her eyes went crafty, speculative, it was an expression that he had seen a lot on her face when they were still in Bebop. It meant she was planning on something, something that she knew he won't like or approve. Back at Bebop, he ignored it, sometimes anticipated it just because it was fun catching her off guard. But not right now, not when she have so many people on her back, waiting for her to make a move. Waiting for her to make the wrong move.

They sipped their glasses in silence, watching shadows fall and shifted in the dark. Neither of them flicked on the light, both prefered the dark, the dark that hid so many things from the eyes. Tension was strong and thickened the air between them.

Faye took a deep breath, the stiff material pressed against her breast and ribs. She swallowed. Anxiety and nerves churned in her stomach. A sick ball of realization of what she was about to do rolled in her stomach. She had thought about it, tossed and turned in the night over it. Everytime she saw him, she had managed to talked herself out of it, but she had to do it, needed to do it. Call it closure, call it..whatever. She needed to do it.

She knocked back her whiskey and felt the trail of warmth from her throat to her stomach, drawing courage from it. When she had decided to do this, when she had agreed to the invitation and saw him again on that lunch thing, those feelings long defied and denied washed through her again, and this time she didn't fight it. In fact she surrendered to it and seeing him made her smile like it used to.

And if it came to her attention of how quickly she adjusted to those long remembered emotions that had always churned deep inside of her, the thought was flicked away like a fly.

It was so easy to slid into those old feelings again, to be the Faye that she was once, that she always will be, the Faye that he had once knew. She sneered, smirked and ribbed him about his suit, about his hair, about his so called bodyguards. It was surprisingly easy to fall back on their usual relationship. But their relationship had changed through the years, he had done most of the changing. Now, here she was, changing it again.

She stood and Spike, watching her, stood as well. He had no idea why he was so jumpy, but his nerves were all on an end. Something raised the hair at his nape, and tension appeared in his body, tightening his muscles.

She stood in front of him and turned her back on him.

" Be a pal, Spike. Help me out will you? Seems I've eaten too much tonight." Spike blinked and let his eyes dropped to the laces and ribbons and ropes tangled and tied on her back. He managed a smile.

" You did ate a bit too much, Faye. I think the only person who out ate you tonight was me." He chuckled.

" And that's saying something, doesn't it?"

Spike stepped closer behind her and she raised slender hands and swept the tumble of curls and flowers from her back. The scent of her was strong and beckoning, the curve of her neck and her shoulders softened by the pale light and dark shadows.

" Your scent, it's from the flower."

Faye turned her head to her left, just a little, showing him the curve of a cheek, and long eyelashes.

" Gardenia's." Her voice soft and a bit distant.

Spike shifted, uncomfortable with this aspect of Faye. Faye to him, was a partner, a companion, a sort of friend. He didn't know what to do with this part of Faye.

Faye, the woman.

There was that little problem where he was very much attracted to that exact part of her. Everytime he caught the glimpse of this Faye, his stomach twisted into tiny little knots, his muscles tightened painfully, and all his brain just turned into mush.

It was a possibility, one that he would pursue if she wasn't also Faye that just days ago hated his guts with a vengenace. He changed their relationship once, he wasn't going to change it again. Besides, this was Faye, his long ago comrade, she gone through doors with him, fought along side him, staunched his wounds, took care of him.

Grieved for him.

They were starting to be friends again, he didn't feel steady enough to change their relationship. But here he was now, standing so close to her that he could feel the heat of her body, smelling her hair, and touching her. Well, about to touch her.

" Spike, will you hurry up? Dying here." She shifted and it brought her closer to him.

_Dying here too. Dammit, woman!_

Spike took a deep breath and stoicly tangled his fingers with the various ribbons and ropes. He was doing pretty much okay, he was controlling himself until she took a long breath and his fingers touch the skin of her back. He frozed and he could swear his heart stopped. His breath choked in his throat.

His mouth dried as the scent of her rose around them and brushed against his skin. She rolled her shoulders and tilted her head to the side, leaving a straight line of her neck uncovered, her shoulders bare, no riot of curls to cover it. The pale light fell on her shoulder, following each curve of each line of muscle, each line of bone, each line of skin. She let out a sigh. Spike closed his eyes and concentrated to the task at hand which was ironically, undressing her. Well, not really, but it was close. As he moved lower, the dress loosen around her.

Lace, ribbon, and satin ropes slid and fell from his fingers, the texture soft and smooth in his hand. He pulled them from the little loopholes on the back of her gown, his fingers sliding and easing across the skin of her back, equally soft and smooth against his skin. And warm, so warm.

Spike didn't realize that Faye had stopped moving, standing still in the quiet of shadows and the dance of shifting light. Outside, rain started to trickle, sliding down against glass and stone. The play of raindrops against glass created the illusion of movement on the walls, the floors, he also didn't realize that he had stepped closer than needed, that he was inhaling more than just air, that he was touching more than just cloth.

Everytime he pulled out a ribbon, a lace, a satin rope, his fingers touched skin, and his hands moved painfully slow, painfully gentle across her skin that had Faye biting her lips, fighting a shudder, a sigh.

She felt his breath at the back of his nape, warm and trembling. She heard him mutter a curse as his hands trembled and his heart stumbled. Her heart was equally trying to jumped up her throat. It succeeded when she felt both his hands, their slender fingers closed lightly yet firmly on her forearms. She almost jumped when she felt Spike leaned his forehead on her shoulder, his hair tickling the back of her neck.

" I'm sorry." He choked. His breath hot and fast on her skin. When she turned, he released her hands and stepped back, trying to keep a blank face. He looked into her green eyes, confusion and uncertainty mirrored in it.

" For what?" She tilted her head, a spray of white flowers fell on her shoulder, her hair dark against her skin. Light shifted yet again and it fell on her eyes, emerald glinted soft against a face so beautiful. She stepped closer.

" Spike?" She took one step and then two but he merely watched her moved.

Their bodies brushed.

" Faye.." His voice was harsh and low, like it was tore away from his throat. His face was grim and his mouth was pressed into a straight line. There were shadows in his face that had nothing to do with the the lack of light. A glint in his eyes that had nothing to do with the reflecting light. He clenched a mental hand against the ball of need, trying to rein in the rush of heat.

But then she raised her face to his, her eyes big and iridescent, and the perfect control, perfect reason blinded and broke.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Author notes: I am so sorrrrryyyy to have just disappeared like that. I've been prepping myself for exams, done now and I can continue writing again, yeah!

Okay, this chapter sucked, it didn't came out like I wanted to, I'm trying to ease into my rythm again, other chapters will be better..at least I hope so cross fingers. This is my pathetic attempt of writing a romantic scene and squeezing words from my **block-**ed brain. Bare with me stumbling and falling until I have my rythm back.

Again, thanks for the reviews, though I haven't checked them out yet. I've locked up my computer in my cabinet since my exam 'cause if I manage to get a whiff of internet, I would've been sucked into the cyber world and be a drone for the next couple of days which is just unnacceptable. I finished my exams today, so I wrote this. Well, tried to wrote this. As soon as my brain is back, I'll get around to edit this. Hopefully, if I'm not feeling so lazy.


	25. A Moment of Weakness

If I be so inclined to climb up beside you,

Would you tell me that the time just isn't right

And if I ever find the key you hide so well,

Will you tell me that I can spend the night?

Leavin' your smell on my coat, leavin your taste on my shoulder

I still fail to understand what it is about this woman

Helplessly melting as I stand next to the sun

As she burns me, I am screaming out for more

Drink every drop of liquid, heap that I've become

Pop me open spoon me out on to the floor

Leavin' your smell on my coat, leavin your taste on my shoulder

I still fail to understand what it is about this woman

Woman-Maroon 5

He yanked her to him by the arms and crushed her body to his and he felt something in him shiver and reveled. His muscles sang and tightened as he felt her curves and heated skin pressed to his. He leaned down and smothered her suprise gasp with his mouth.

The kiss was hard, hot and possesive, his right hand snaked to her waist, tangled with the ropes then slid to naked skin. His hand had a strong grip of her right arm that would leave bruises in the morning. His hand at her back pressed on warm skin to bring her closer to him.

Lips brushed and rubbed against eachother.

Spike angled his head and sunk into her.

Her lips were soft and warm and pliant against his, like her body that molded and moved against his. He didn't bother to bite, to nibble, he merely absorbed.

Faye felt her blood boiled, her brain flashed, as he gulp her down, slow. His lips were hard and unrelenting, his hands coarsed and strong around her, against her, over her. She let out a low sound of need.

The taste of her burst in his mouth and he tangled his tongue in it, lapped it all up greedily, selfishly. His breath was coming out fast and hot, his blood was heating up and the way she was curved all over him didn't help either. He ran his hands up her waist, her bare arms, the curve of her shoulder and tangled it in her hair, fisted. His fingers crushed the flowers in her hair, the scent of it vivid and tangible against them.

His need for her was like a rushing tide, overwhelming and sudden, intense. He knew he shouldn't be doing is, touching her like this, he knew he should've held back, he should've turn his back and leave. But he didn't. He couldn't. The need for her was already consuming him, torturing him.

This aching need was new to him, oh, he had wanted Julia and other woman that had come his way. Whatever else he was, a monk was not one of it.

Julia, he had wanted her with every single breath in his body. The act itself was always hot and heated, fast tangled limbs and gleeful laughs in the night. It was more of a symbol of freedom for them, what they had between them was a thing far away from syndicate, from vicious, from the darkness that they had lived in. It was their way of keeping the darkness at bay. Their love was the thing that had kept them sane, their attempt of normalcy, a connection to the ordinary world.

He had needed Julia and with the pain of needing her, having but also not having her came also a sweet echoing pleasure.

His need for Faye was something else entirely. She was not even close to his type but he wanted her anyway. She was the bane of his existence, cocky and reckless, greedy and shameless. She had all the qualities that he hated in a woman, but when she wasn't there, he found that he missed her crude words and whiny voice. He missed seeing the arrogant smirk, hearing the sound of her heels, staring at the burst of heat in her eyes whenever she was angry at him. He missed arguing with her over hot water, over bounties, over her gambling pursuits. He had even missed his annoyance of finding his last stash of cigarettes missing which he found just so disturbing.

What was more disturbing than that was the slow clench of lust that swirled low in his belly when he had first saw her dancing, in front of him. For him.

And the quick twist of need the first time he had saw her face. Annoyed and confused with it, he tried to explain it as surprise or some shit like that, but than that night had happen, and he didn't fight it anymore.

The need to touch her was a fierce tangle in him, it clawed and scratched its way through. The scent and taste of her choked and filled his senses, blocked the sanity and reason that had tried to push it back.

_More. More. I want more. I need..I need..More_

The chant was repeated in his head, he slid his lips to the curve of her jaw, to the long line of her neck. He pressed his lips to the pulsing vein in her neck, and bit.

He swallowed her surprised gasp as he ravished her mouth once again. His hands worked on her back, tangled with the ropes that held the dress together and pulled. The ropes snapped and the dress loosened around her.

Desperation was an emotion Faye was familiar with. An emotion that clung to her like her very own skin. It grew in stages. At first, it was desperation for food, than for life, than for money, for power, for survival, for freedom than for a sense of safety. Than a desperation for warmth, for heat, for love.

It grew and tangled its roots in her, and with every beat of her heart, it grew bigger and bigger.

And today it consumed.

When Spike cornered her that night, that night when those suffocating emotions that was churning inside of her, those emotions that were for him, that night when those emotions were bubbling too close to the suface, he touched more than just skin, touched more than just 'the Faye' that she had made herself in to. The Faye that for two years had moved from planet to planet, the Faye that did nothing else but collect bounties, bought shoes and try to live a day at a time.

He had touched the old Faye, the Faye that hoped for friends. The Faye who lived with her own set of honorable codes. The Faye that had craved for a small family of her own. The Faye with her delusions and dreams.

The Faye that had looked at him, and allowed herself to dream.

The Faye that had cared for him and loved him even a little bit. As much as she knew how, with a heart that was torn and tattered.

He had touched that Faye, and that Faye had blossomed, had broken out of the prison of reason, and reveled in freedom. And in freedom, demanded, wanted.

And as before, it wanted Spike.

Now she would allow herself this night, this moment of weakness in hope that it would atleast ease the burning inside of her. Fill the empty void that she had deep inside at the day of his leaving.

_One night, just this one night._

Her skin was damp and slithered with sweat, heat swirled around them, in them, thickened the air. It was getting harder and harder to breathe. Fingers tangled in clothes, curled in hair, clawed on skin.

His arms were strong around her, she felt his muscles shifted, strained. And when his mouth worked on her neck, her knees wobbled.


	26. Twist and Turns

I'll let you see me, I'll covet your regard

I'll invade your demeanor

And you'll yield to me like a scent in the breeze

And you'll wonder what it is about me

But my big secret

Gonna hover over your life

Gonna keep you reaching

When I'm gone like yesterday

When I'm high like heaven

When I'm strong like music

'Cuz I'm slow like honey, and

Heavy with mood

Slow Like Honey- Fiona Apple

Spike released his hold of Faye and she stumbled back two steps before she regain her balance, staring at him. His hands were trembling, his palms were warm from the feel of her skin. He clenched his hands together and raised his eyes to meet hers. His face was closed and shuttered, his mouth hard.

" I'm sorry." He turned his head and ran a hand through his hair in a frustrated gesture. " I don't know what came over me. I guess I'm pretty drunk."

_Which is a complete lie. You know exactly what has come over you. Lust. Plain old fashion lust. Admit it._

Spike ignored the wicked voice inside his head and picked up his jacket that was lying helplessly on the floor. He froze still bent over when he saw the end of her skirt moved closer to him. He straightened slowly, his body braced for an attack. For nasty words.

Instead she stepped closer and circled her arms on his waist, stood on her toes and brushed her lips softly, gently on his collar bone. She laid her head on his chest, the gesture was trusting, sweet, almost...loving. Spike felt his heart did a slow turn and whispered a sigh.

Lust he could lived with, need he could get used to, but this was something else entirely. The feeling that made him leaned his chin on the top of her head, rubbed his cheek on her hair, circled his arms around her, was something he couldn't identify, something unfamiliar. Not really unpleasant, but uncomfortable.

" Spike." She whispered as she raised her head and look at him straight in the eyes. Spike wasn't immune to the compelling light in her eyes, the romance of the shadows and the everchanging lights, and the slow, soothing trickle of rain.

_You'll hate me in the morning._

This time when their lips met, it was slow and gentle, hesitant, tentative. Testing the waters, knowing things will never be the same, knowing this was a misstep that they both couldn't afford.

But they would give themselves tonight. Give themselves eachother.

When they moved precisely with an excruitiating tenderness, carefulness. As if afraid to ruin the moment. Hands touched and tangled, lips brushed and sighed, his jacket fell soundlessly on the floor as they moved as one to the bedroom.

The bedroom with its big windows and huge four poster bed was silent except for the shadows that crept sideways towards them. Their steps muffled by the thick carpet, still tangled in each other.

Spike had finally managed to slide the dress down, it fluttered to the floor as she stepped out of it. His white silk shirt joined it. Hands ran over hot skin, already damp, already tight with anticipation. Muscles strained and jumped, mouths tasted and nipped, breaths trembled and panted.

Spike ran his hands against all the fascinating curves and dips of her body, the white lace and satin she encased it in, Spike smiled against the curve of her shoulder when he realized she was actually wearing a bra, in _that _kind of dress. It tickled him and a spurt of mischief had him teased her about it, earning a slap at the side of his head. Each of them muffled a chuckle.

He nibbled his way to her throat, her collarbone, his hands reveling on the texture of satin and lace on soft skin. She moaned softly and her head fell back in surrender. Spike, a hand on her waist lifted her to the bed and tumbled in after her.

The bed enveloped them like a soft, flimsy cloud.

Spike felt his heart clenched when his arms touched the scars on her stomach. He traced them gently, his eyes on her.

Faye marveled at the look in his eyes and felt the slow sweet emotion settled on her heart. She smiled.

Spike leaned down and touched his lips on hers, brushed them once, twice. Then nuzzled her neck and closed his eyes, wallowing in the impossibly tender feeling that shifted inside of him.

When Spike raised her arms over her head and held it there, Faye tensed, suddenly realizing.

_No. No. This is wrong. This is not how I want it to be._

Spike raised his head and frowned when he felt her tensed.

" What's wrong?" Her eyes were wide and blurry, but there was a light of panic in her eyes. When she slid her hands away from him, he let her.

" It's nothing. Nothing." She shook her head, circled her arms around his neck and kissed him.

Her mouth was like a fever, hot, sweet and it just wouldn't _stop_. It worked against his and he could all but feel his eyes rolled to the back of his head, when her hands roamed all over him. His hands clenched hard on her arms when she scraped her nails over his back. The slight stinging pain made him hissed and she smirked wickedly.

_That's better. Keep it fast, keep it heated. Keep it emotionless._

Faye kept at him, running his hands over his body, working at him until his eyes darkened. She didn't want slow, she didn't want gentle, it would make it seemed to important. Hard, fast and rough, just sex. She wanted to keep it all just about sex. But Spike didn't seem to coaporate.

When he laid a kiss on the curve of her jaw, and tangled his fingers in her hair, it sent her heart scrambling, stuttering over the sweetness of the gesture.

So, like everything else, Faye had to take matters into her very own hands...literally. It was a gamble, seducing Spike to her bed, a risky one, she knew it. Faye knew that he wanted her, and she, had always wanted him despite all her denials and big talk.

Maybe, just maybe, after this night is over, she could end her Spike dilemma, and maybe, just maybe, after tonight, Spike could fulfilled his curiosity or whatever it is he felt about her. She could give them that.

But in order for that to work, she had to keep it hot, keep it fast, so there will be no time to think.

Or to feel.

" Stop. Faye. Stop." Spike lifted him up from her body, both breathing hard, skin flushing. She smiled, hiding her frustration, circled her arms around his neck again and pulling him to her, he resisted. So, she was the one who went up and pressed herself flush against him, he gritted his teeth.

" Faye." She trailed a moist line of heat on his throat and down his chest. " Stop."

" Spike. I don't need gentle. I don't need slow. " Every word was enunciated with a kiss to his skin.

Her words bothered him, the tone of it too and a nasty thought passed his mind. It was just something that she, with her strange twisted logic would think of, something that only she could pull off. A swept of anger filled him.

He held her on her arms and lifted her up. He stared into her eyes, watched her face. There was annoyance, desire and something else. Something that made him felt cold all over.

" Damn you, Faye." His voice came out low and harsh. Faye straightened carefully, not bothering to cover herself, or explain herself. Or deny anything.

Faye merely watched him, her emerald eyes big and dark and although she was only wearing what some would laughing call underwear, she was closed off from him. It was hard to believe this woman with the cool look in her eyes was the same woman he had spent days with, and almost spend tonight with.

" This is what you've been after. You planned this all along. Why?" His tone was matter of fact, casual like. But there was nothing casual about the look in his eyes, the expression on his face. The anger that emanated from him.

Faye slid her eyes away but look at him again a second later and gave him her trademark cocky grin.

" Spike. Don't go all girly on me." She sighed and sat her ass on the bed, flipped her hair. Her attitude condecending. " It's just sex. No big deal." She rolled her eyes at him.

He wanted to hit her, slap her and the fact that he still wanted her only made his anger more fierce. He snarled at her. The fact that she was sitting there, half naked, her porcelain skin glowing in the darkness, her hair tousled and dark snaking across her shoulders, her arms, petals of the flowers she had put in her hair, fluttered around where she sat. One fell teasingly over a stocking covered thigh. Shadows made patterns across the bed, across her skin.

Spike turned his back on her and slid down from the bed. But he needed something, something from her. An emotion, a flicker of feeling. To show him it wasn't all a strategic move for her, so he turned back to look at her and covered his hurt with a smirk of his own.

" I guess I should've known. You were always such a whore."

It was a cheap shot, a sucker punch. One that he hated to do, but it worked. The seemingly irritated, bored look on her face didn't change, but the look in her eyes was enough. The stress lines between her brows were enough. He turned his back on her and started to walk towards the living room.

" Maybe I am a whore. But remember, that you wanted this whore. And now that you got a taste. You'll always want me."

" Don't count on it." He said, teeth clenched without looking back at her, knowing she was right.

In the living room he snatched up his shirt, shrugged into it without buttoning it and put on his black jacket. When he came to the door, he breathe in and out, taking a moment to steady himself.

" Dammit, Faye." He muttered when her scent swirled around him, suffocating him. His anger seemed to only make the scent stronger. He pulled on the door and tried to slam it closed but even that little satisfaction was taken from him as the door closed with a silent hiss. He considered kicking it open again when he heard the engage automatic lock but another door opened and Shin came out of the door.

Shin lifted both of his brows when Spike glared at him, his eyes shining bright with anger, Shin kept his mouth closed which was wise of him. When Spike turned and stalked the hallway, he exchanged a look with Horatio who stood behind him, and like a good little shadow that he was, followed his leader silently.

Does that scare you? I'll let you run away

But your heart will not oblige you

You'll remember me like a melody

Yeah, I'll haunt the world inside you

And my big secret -- Gonna win you over

Slow like honey, heavy with mood


	27. And More Turns

'Cause this is my way out of it tonight

And this is my last chance to ease the fire

And this is my way out of it tonight

I might find one way to get through

How about you

'Cause this is my way out of it tonight

And this is my last chance to ease the fire

And this is my way out of it tonight

I might find one way to get through

How about you

How about you

How about you

My way Out

Spike let out a slow even breath and carefully swiped his right hand through the air in a straight line then continued with a careful fast straight jab with his left hand. Sweat trickled over his back and gathered between the waistband of his black sweats. The kick that followed was precise and viciously sharp.

The flowing, movements of his style focused him. The need for precision and just the exact posture, movement and amount of strength had his brow wrinkled, his muscles limber.

He let out a slow even breath, balanced himself and execute a high flying kick, sending him spinning in the air for a second or two. The movement fast, effortless and smooth as though gliding on air and landed soundlessly on the marble floors of his office.

He wiped the sweat off his brow, and shook his head from side to side, his damp hair flopping to his forehead. He took a long calming breath. He was calm, he was centered.

He let out a low frustrated sound and stalked towards the executive bathroom he had in his office along with a bedroom and his closet full of suits, shoes and whatever he needed. Spike, lived and breathed in his office. Of course he had an apartment somewhere but he spend a lot of hours in office anyway so, why bother?

He muttered something vile under his breath while he splashed water on his face.

_How the hell can I be so gullible? I should have known that shrew would've tried something like this. Why didn't I figure it out?_

_Because you wanted so much to believe that's why. Because the moment you saw Faye blinked her green eyes at you and smiled, you hoped that she had forgiven you._

_But she didn't, did she?_

Spike was cautious at first, wary and suspicious about her the minute he recovered from the apparent shock and the relief that he felt when she said that he was willing to trust him again.

Half of him wanted so much to believe in her, he was glad that she forgave him, felt glad that everything would be the same as it was again. The other half of him, however, his more suspicious, cynical self had watched her with wary eyes, picking apart her every expression, her every gesture, second guessing her every word, every intonation. Seeing shadows where they weren't. Apparently his suspicious self was right.

She planned the whole thing all along, right from her appearence at Jason's lunch, to the dress she wore earlier tonight. And he was stupid enough to fell for it.

He stomped his way to the bar, hauled a few bottles out of the antique oak cabinet and started to drink.

Spike didn't know what happen. The last thing he remembered was sitting in the darkness of his office, slowly trying to drink himself to oblivion. And he sort of passed out.

After that everything was just.. vague. He didn't know how he got up from his undignified sprawl on the floor, changed his clothes and got himself to her doorway. Again.

And now he was on a bed, naked, with her warm, equally naked body beside him. He didn't know how he got to the hotel, or how he ended up knocking on her door.

But he remembered everything, from the minute she opened the door wearing a satin robe the color of her eyes. Hair tousled from sleep, face soft and naked without make up, eyes wide and confused, red-rimmed and wet.

He remembered how he had stepped into the room, clutched her to him and kissed her without saying anything. And then his memory was all jumbled up. He remembered tangled limbs, and heated skin. The feel of her skin against his, the feel of her body against his, the smell of her, the touch of her, the taste of her. He remembered how she had sighed, panted and sobbed, how her eyes went blind and blurry, the low purr in her throat. How she moved restlessly under him, over him, around him. He remembered the slide of her hair against him, the feel of each strand sticking to the sweat on their skin. The sharp stinging pain of her nails, and her teeth. He remembered the sweet spot just under the curve of her left breast, the tender skin under her jaw. He remembered how she had gasped out his name when he was inside her.

He had also remembered how she reacted to his touch, the flicker of emotion on her face, the tremble in her voice. The uncertainty, and the hesitation.

It was different from the first time, she was caught off guard, surprised when she saw him appear on her doorstep the second time around. There were no calculated touches, no hidden agendas, no walls or barriers. There was no time to retreat, no time to think. Spike made sure of that.

And if he found that he was too caught up in emotion over this, he thought he only got himself to blame. And if he found out that there was more than enough of those intense feelings blocked inside of Faye, felt a lot more than just desire in Faye, for Faye, that to he only got himself to blame.

Something happened between them than just sex, from the time he gaze at her under him and met her eyes, staring. And he leaned down, kissing her eyelids, her cheek and slid down to her cheeks. He laid his lips on her fingers, and their eyes met again. Something happened from that moment that made tonight.. more.

And if he realized that Faye felt more than just simple attraction, that she had cared more than she let on, he was too far gone to go back. To stop. It was selfish, it was foolish but he just couldn't seem to care. But he heard the emotion in her voice, felt it in the way she touched him, looked at it in her eyes, and he wrapped himself in it, buried himself in it. He savored, and craved.

And she offered, gave, surrendered. And hated herself and him for it. Hated herself for the weakness, for the flaw in her that made her surrender, made her gave, made her loved this one man that had always had too much from her. Had too much _of_ her.

Hated him for the ability to exploit the weakness in her, for the ability to make her weak.

And now here they are, in bed together but a world apart.

Spike slipped into his black silk shirt, and shoulder holster. Over it, he wore a long black battered leather jacket. He shrugged into the leather watching the slow rise and fall of Faye's breathing. She laid on her stomach, the long line of her back and the flare of her hip gleamed against the fading light. It was already morning but it was still dark outside. Her hair strewned and curled all over the satin sheets and her skin. Her face was calm, her eyes closed, her lips slightly parted. And there was a pearl of a tear glinting on her eyelashes.

Spike leaned down and whisper a kiss on her cheek, straightened and turned on his heels and walked out of the door the second time tonight.

The tear slid over her cheek, to the curve of her nose and dropped to the satin sheets below as Faye opened her eyes to the soft disappearing sound of his footsteps.

Author notes:

It's short. I know, that sucks. I got exams. More soon.

Next on At The Point:

Spike slipped the chip into his desk unit and flipped it on and recognized two faces that flashed on the monitor.

One was Faye.

The other was a man he recognized from his dark past.

Faye: You know him?

Spike: Yes.

I killed him.


	28. Time Enough For Tears

Time enough for hard questions

Time enough for all our fears

Time is tougher than we both know yet

Time enough for tears

Time enough for being braver

Time enough, I love this time of year,

Time is tough, its running away from us,

Time enough for tears

Time enough for tears

Time enough for tears

Time Enough For Tears, The Coors

Nathaniel braced himself and knocked on her door. A moment later the door opened slightly, the smiling face of a maid greeted him. The maid was the only one that was appointed for Faye, they scrutinized, did back ground checks and interrogated her to hell and back before they even let her stepped onto the floor. They weren't taking any chances. He nodded to her as they passed eachother through the opened door. His feet hesitated as he entered but he forced himself to move.

The room was filled with the seductive scent of freshly grind coffee, of food, of the roses bathing in sunlight. But beneath all that was the subtle scent of woman.

She was sitting in the balcony overlooking the ocean. As the flimsy curtains billowed through a sudden gust of wind light flooded the room like a playful indecisive child, changing its color, density and rays of light.

She was already dressed in a simple cut black gown that covered her from neck to toe that flowed fluidly around her legs, she was barefoot and somehow that made Nathaniel wanted to smile.

The textile of her dress however seemed it was made from a strange material that shone copper with every shifting light. It gleamed like it was made out of something alive. Her hair was done up in a pony tail that was made formed out of intricate braids that left her face uncovered, unframed. Her face however was still naked, not a brush of makeup. Her eyes glittered green like a cat's. Her mouth unpainted, a soft pale rose.

She lifted a steaming cup of coffee in an antique delicate pinkish looking cup.

She took a long gulp from her cup of coffee and acknowledged him with a nod. Nathaniel stepped closer, into the sunlight, his violet eyes squinted as it adjusted to the brightness of the sun. The sun was warm on his skin and the sharp scent of flowers tingled his nostrils.

_And the day had showed so much promise._

Nathaniel didn't know how he ended up in this predicament he was in. He was tempted to take out his gun and shoot himself and just get it over with. But an order was an order, duty and obligation and all that. He just have to grit his teeth and do it and pray that she wouldn't hurt him too badly.

_On second thought, pray that she would atleast kill me_ _quickly_. He squared his shoulders, picked a spot to look at, and blurted out what he was told to say.

" Spike requests your presence in the Red Dragon Headquarters."

Birds twittered, wind blew, and the sun shone even brighter. Nathaniel stood even straighter, his heart beat faster.

The cup clinked cheerfully against its saucer. A heartbeat later, Faye took a deep long breath. Her eyes still gazing out into the sunlight around her at the burst of colors of flowers, supplied by the little garden around the railings of the balcony, the play of light against the drops of morning dew.

" Can I atleast finish my breakfast?"

Nathaniel blinked.

_What? No arguments? No threats? No ' I'm going to shoot you if you get near me again?'_

Obviously his bafflement showed on his face, she smiled.

" Surprise?"

Nathaniel winced.

" At first. Now I'm just worried."

Faye lifted an eyebrow.

" Worried?" She angled her head, her eyes still fixed on the flowers.

" Well, anxious."

Faye made a non-commital sound that made Nathaniel even more anxious.

She finally turned her face towards him. Green eyes met violet ones, and she smiled. She looked calm, at ease, comfortable in the light. Her eyes closed, she lifted her face to the sun and took a long breath. Prickles of light rippled down, cascading down through branches, highlighting her face. She stayed like that, as if trying to take the light into herself. To draw power from the heat.

Then she opened her eyes, her emerald eyes glinted in the light. She stood gracefully and turned to him. She smiled. It was..different. Her smile, it was...quiet. It didn't look like it belong on such a face as Faye Valentine's. On a woman like Faye Valentine's.

" Well, let's get this freak show on the road."


	29. The Question Why

Did you say everything you could?

Do the things that you thought you would?

Did it ever occur to you that this could be your final day?

Did you go where you wanted to go?

Learn about what you wanted to know?

Did you ever really give something back instead of always taking it?

Did you find what you're looking for?

Did you get your foot in the door?

Can you look at yourself and feel proud of all the things you've done?

Did you inspire the ones that you knew?

Make a difference to those who knew you?

Did you finally figure out what it is that makes us who we are today?

Did You? By Hoobastank

_I've always thought to myself through out the years, asked myself time and time again, 'who is Faye Valentine?' A lonely girl, a woman without a past, a woman who made herself on top of a girl she can't remember, on top of the woman that was confuse, frighten, alone. On top of a woman who should've said goodbye to her past as she had forgotten about it anyway, so why not start out fresh? Think of it as a second chance but instead had been dragged down by it in the end. A woman who had foolishly love, and love recklessly, hopelessly, knowing that there isn't any other way to love but fell in love anyway._

_A woman who had shed others blood and shed some of her own. Who had hunted, who had been hunted in return. A woman who built her life from nothing in one hand and made a mess out of it with the other. A contradiction. An enigma even to herself. _

_And somehow in all the years that passed. The name of Faye Valentine presented more than a person, it was more than a name for a woman. It evolved and mutated into an image, a personality of its own. A tough, ruthless, careless, sexy all or nothing kind of woman. Who held a gun with an ease and even affection as any other woman handle her most love jewelry, her ship was her safe haven, and everywhere she went, her home. A woman that held herself with a reckless abandon, a healthy appetite for money, and capable to create trouble with a flick of her fingers and had the devil's own luck. _

This personality molded itself to her and it was easy to become Faye, who was selfish, who had no excess baggage, no strings attached, no responsibilities, no obligations. What interest her, she pursue, what doesn't, she ignore. She was free and in control of every inch of her life.

Then she had met the Bebop crew, a dysfunctional but still a family, their different roots and expertise, and attitudes made one heck of a group, but they belong in Bebop, slid effortlessly into routines. Into their own different roles and she had wanted that, wanted that connection, even though they clash like hell, fought each other like crazed dogs most of the time.

There was no invitation, she needed none, and she merely strolled into the Bebop and picked a room for herself. There was no welcome, but there was no rejection either. And not long after that, she had somehow belonged. And belonging, she wanted more, wondered more about herself, for herself.

Her past finally came to bite her in the ass, and questions started to hover in the air, restless and intrusive in her usual complacent selfish world. It nagged her day and night until she had no choice to pursue it and in pursuing it she open the Pandora's Box. All she found was nothing. Her senses reeled, bombarded by memories of people long dead, and places no longer existed. She merely gone out of the way to find that she was truly alone in the world.

That she didn't need.

Then the whole Spike fiasco happened, and she was left alone all over again.

Alone with the shadows of her past.

But after she thought about it, she should've guessed it would be that way. After all, the only thing you can be sure of was death and taxes, as the old saying go. And your own self.

She had gotten good in trusting herself these last year, and she hoped to continue that way, but again, her past just had to come to dogged her steps. And her ass was still sore from the last time it managed to hunt her down and took a big chunk out of it.

So here she was, sick and tired of having things exploding in her face. It was time to settle things once and for all. Time to get to the bottom of it all. She just hoped that things wouldn't go down the drain too fast for her to handle.

She was starting to question herself, her motives, and she was getting sick of it.

Enough is enough. She was going to get to the bottom of this sticky situation she was in.

"Faye?"

Faye blinked and turned towards questioning violet eyes. He was standing on the pavement, the car door open. In front of them, the lavish lobby of the Red Dragon Headquarters looming above them. Obviously he has been standing there, waiting for her to come out for sometime now.

"Ironic, he destroyed it then he builds it back again." Faye quipped as she slid out of the limo seat.

Horatio, Casey, Sean stood in the lobby and turned as one towards her. Faye felt an itch between her shoulder blades, a sure sign of something big and usually something that doesn't bode well for her is going to happen. An air of tension crept towards her from the guys, it tingled her senses. She rubbed her fingers together, yearning to hold her gun. She shifted and felt better when she felt the graze of her double holster against her dress and her black leather coat. The weight of the gun was comforting.

"Miss Valentine." Horatio braved a smile, and with the mention of her name, voices hushed and conversations volumes dropped. Eyes swerved towards her. Discreet yet obvious.

"Please." Casey gestured for her to walk in front of him. Faye noticed the amount of attention that she got from the black clad gun carrying people that was lounging around the large, high ceiling room. She looked around with wary eyes and exchanged glances with her private detail.

"What's with the silent treatment?"

Sean stared down a couple of junior agents that quickly glance away.

"Your name has been quite a household name."

More than that, Sean thought, she was a woman that has apparent ties to their leader. A strong if not amiable one from the looks of it but that set some apprehension in some quarters of The Red Dragons. Spike had destroyed The Red Dragon because of a woman once, he can do it again, or so some people thought.

Shock resonated through the crowd in the inward halls as she clicked her way inside in her sharp high heel black leather boots, her leather coat swishing behind her, an arrogant yet strong look on her, her face beautiful, even the blank look on her face didn't put out the fire in her eyes.

Her private detail followed her with quick purposeful steps, all dressed in black forming a big looming shadow.

It crossed Sean's mind that she looked quite at home amongst them, looked like she belong in a syndicate with her black dress, the boots, the black aura coming out of her, the glimpse of her guns in their holster every time she move.

Faye noted the luxurious furnishings, the high ceilings, the tinted windows, the view, the lofty big red beams; the lush red carpet with the gold woven embroiders.

_Not bad, too much red though. Maybe _I_ should've been a syndicate leader. Certainly got a lot of perks._

The elevator opened and they walked through. More red carpet, more red beams, more room. She saw Tony and Tristan, striking in their contrast standing with a short, stout, pink cheek jovial looking man. His grayish eyes gleamed with interested behind round glasses that perched at the edge of his nose. He looked like cheerful cherubic elf. He was wearing a wild colorful riot of color shirt and a red jacket over it. His blond hair was tied in pony tail with a black velvet band

_Not really syndicate material but appearance can be deceiving_,_ not at all discreet and as gay as they come. Interesting._

Faye didn't know whether to be amused or insulted when she was treated to an all out inspection.

"Faye Valentine, at last we meet. Charmed." Finally he stuck out a hand. Faye blinked.

"Right. And you are..?" He slapped the other hand towards his forehead while his other hand still shook hers. He laughed.

"Oh, so sorry. I am Caro, Spike's secretary." His smile was earnest and bright. Faye didn't know what to make of him. Faye lifted an eyebrow when he leaned forward, still holding her hand and sniffed.

"Oh, wow. You smell great. Gardenia's right? So that's why Spike came smelling like Gardenia's last night." Her smile stayed in her face, frozen on it actually.

"Caro." Horatio's tone was a bit too sharp, Caro's round face swiveled to him, "Spike is waiting for us."

"Oh, yes. Sorry. Just so excited about meeting you. You look great by the way. Come right this way." He took point and led her deeper into the hallway that Faye was getting pretty twitchy about it all and then he finally stopped in front of a big ass heavy looking door with extravagant carvings on it.

"Hm. I wonder who's door this is." Faye mumbled. Nathaniel glanced at her. Faye mustered a sarcastic smile.

"Well, shall we?"

Horatio moved to open the door, Faye stared ahead and steel herself for what's to come.


	30. The Past

And I doubt

That I will ever find out

If there's a way to get out

Of feeling all alone

Cause lately

I've been thinking maybe

That no one's going to save me

I'll do it on my own

On my own, on my own

Never There By Hoobastank

Spike rubbed his tired eyes and leaned back on the massive chair behind his huge desk. Jet watched him with quiet eyes.

"Can I talk you out of this?" Spike raised his eyes to Jet's face and felt a little twitch in his heart. It was a feeling that he was getting very often these few years.

"You look old, Jet."

Jet lifted an eyebrow.

"I _am_ old, Spike. Then there's you and Faye that has the ability to attract trouble everytime you breathe." Jet stood up from the chair across from Spike's and made a bee line to the big windows. Restless, edgy with the new information that Spike just told him. It was..unexpected, unpredictable and..

"You don't have to be here."

"I've always been dragged between you two I'm not gonna stop this late in the game." Jet asked, pacing the strip of gold garpet infront of Spike's desk.

"Who do you think sent the chip?"

"I have no idea. I've got Ed to trace it but she has no idea, but we tested it, and it's genuine."

Jet finally stopped and sat down on the plump chair. Winced inwardly when he heard some of his bones cricked.

_I _am_ old. _

He sighed and squinted against the light edging in from the multiply glass windows, untainted, and unfiltered. The light streamed down, flashing in and out, bright and merciless. Bouncing off the gleam of gold and reddish color that dominated the room. Jet didn't know how Spike could've stayed in the room day in and day out. It's like looking at the sun, constantly. It's like being _on_ the sun, despite of the air conditioner, Jet felt hot. It was either that or it was anxiety playing tricks with his mind.

Spike called him early in the morning, telling him that he had something to show him. Spike looked haggard, grim and uneasy. Three things that he never was. Even though he was riddled with bullets, Spike still maintained his cheery, devil may-care attitude. At first he thought something happen to Ed, but then he remembered Faye.

Something happened to Faye.

The woman has always been trouble from the moment they laid eyes on her that one fine day in the casino until the last time he saw her. It was just something about her that attracts trouble like a magnet. Or more precisely, attract men that is trouble themselves, then adding to it. It was her talent, somehow. To make a bad situation becomes worse. Much, much worse.

It's not like she asks for it. It just happens. She's a freak of nature like that.

He thought maybe she finally collided with The Family, or got herself into something else entirely. But when he got here, it was something..else.

Spike showed him the contents of a chip that was sent to Faye, her bodyguards sent it to Intelligence, and from Ed, the chip was sent to Spike.

" Uh, Spike. What am I watching here?" Jet squinted his eyes towards the large screen on one of the walls of Spike's office.

" A chip someone sent to Faye."

" Who's the someone?"

" We have our suspiciouns."

" Okay. But that still didn't answer my question. What am I watching here? All I see is a bunch of people having a good time in a bar. From the angle of the camera it seems like from a necklace, or a button. A spycam. Someone doing surveillance?" Jet glanced at Spike, faces towered over the camera, usual sounds in a bar, the clink of ice against a glass, the buzz of conversations, and a screen showing nothing in particular. The tinkle of music.

" What or who are they doing surveillance about?"

Spike freezed the frame on a close up of man, with black hair and black eyes. Handsome, in his early thirties, personable and apparently the owner of the place.

" His name is Rain Alhasa. He used to own a bar in the seedy part of town here in Mars. He runs a clean place, just an ordinary good citizen with a good samaritan complex, helps out around the neighborhood. People come to him if they have a problem. Wields enough power that no small town groups or gangs messes with him." Spike pressed the play button, the frame resume playing.

" Used to a own a bar. Did he wield enough power that somebody popped him?" Spike shifted his eyes to Jet, Jet caught something in his expression but was unsure of what it was. "Okay, so he got killed. I still don't know why I'm watching this."

" Rain Alhasa, is not an ordinary guy that just happens to own a bar. He is also the son of one of the most prominent families in Mars."

" Family as in The Family? He's one of The Family?"

" You can say he was the successor. The heir. The one heading The Family now is his sister."

" Spike, I would appreciate if you just spit things out 'cause I still don't see why the internal squabbles of The Family involves Faye."

Spike gave a little smile.

" Maybe this will help." The screen flickered black, it showed a straight shaft of soft light streamed down towards the empty stage, forming a perfect circle. In the centre of the light was an old broken down microphone, standing alone amidst the darkness. Music, tinkling piano and sultry saxophones, echoed through the room from the screen.

A voice, husky and sexy came out of the darkness.

Jet frowned, something bugged him about the voice.

Finally the stream of light widened and included a woman wearing a green sequin strapless dress and white elbow length opera gloves.

" Oh. O-kay. She works for him."

" They were pretty close. Apparently, she was his protégée. She kept working for him until he disappeared."

The scene in the screen changed, Faye was dancing with the man in question.

" Huh." Jet turned to Spike. " These would be like years ago, right?"

" Yeah."

" You were still in Red Dragon's, and the Red Dragon's were still fighting with The Family, right?"

Jet caught the shadow that passed over Spike's face.

" Aw, crap."

" You sure you wanna tell her?"

" Wouldn't it be better if she knew from me than from another source?"

Jet scratched his bald head. His golden arm glinted in the sunlight.

" I'd rather she wouldn't have to know at all."

Spike blew out smoke. His ciggarette dangling from his lips.

" That makes both of us."

Their conversation was jolted to a close by a knock. Spike turned off the screens.

" Well, here we go." Spike turned his chair to face the door as it slowly opened. Jet let out a long breathe.


	31. Obvious Heart

Disc: Not Mine

Author notes: I know. I know. You all hate me. I hate me too. Excuse the lack of grammar and stuff. I'm stumped and desperate. Anyway, anyone know about some lyrics I can use? Something dark and hurtful. Please help me.

P.S: Swimming Bird and Robinsflame, I only wrote this because I was afraid that you'd kick my ass. Be proud.

The obvious heart has come to collect

Cause it tore apart like a tortured insect

The obvious heart waits here to heal

And balances out a subtle reveal

This heart is not a broken one

But where have all the colors gone

It's still among the lucky ones

"Obvious Heart" Finger Eleven

Jet turned his head when the big ass door with the intricate carvings opened with a slow and eerie sound, the sound of footsteps followed it. He watched as Horatio and Tristan opened the double doors, walked through then turned simultaneously towards the opening of the door.

_She looked like she… belonged._ Jet thought as he watched Faye glided before him, entering Spike's domain with a confidence that bordered on arrogance. Her black leather coat snapped and swished behind her and caught the glint of her holster strapped under it.

Faye wore her guns like any other women wore her most favorite strands of pearls. He admired her for it even when he worried about her because of it.

He wasn't stupid, Faye handled a gun like it was an extension of her arm, but just because you're good with it doesn't mean that you can't get hurt by it. Most of the times it's because you're good at it you get hurt by it.

The first thing that Jet noted was the absence of her hair from her face, although he'd seen her hair tied back but she always did something fancy with her hair that there were always a bit of her hair around her face, but now all her hair was pulled back, her face unframed, uncovered. It didn't make her less beautiful, it was just….

That train of thought disappeared from his mind when Faye's emerald eyes met his. It gleamed against the showers of light from the wide big windows around them; her skin looked even softer, whiter in the harsh light that moved around them.

Jet saw Spike shifted from the corner of his eyes and when he turned his eyes to Spike he saw Spike's back went ramrod straight. Ready for battle, Jet could practically see the shields that went back up.

Jet didn't blame him; he would need it if he wanted to pursue the topic they were just discussing.

Jet turned and watched Faye stood beside his chair. Her eyes were cold again, empty again and he wondered what happened between the two to make her return to that. He watched his two comrades eyed each other silently, already feeling dread and apprehension settled heavily in his stomach. On his heart as his loyalties divided and warred inside his mind.

_It would've never worked_, Jet had watched the two of them eyed each other for the last couple of days ever since they've met again, warily, carefully. He saw the speculation and the consideration in their eyes. The willingness to believe, but the realization that they cannot.

The both of them were too proud, too guarded.

Too broken.

There were too many lies, to many secrets and both of them were too good at keeping them.

Suddenly Jet felt the weight of his years as he waited for what's to come.

"Spike." Faye acknowledged Spike with a nod then turned towards Jet. Jet nodded towards her and smiled when she placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You're not taking care of yourself old man. You look tired." He watched her eyes softened when their eyes met and he felt a certain relief that she wasn't gone completely.

Then she turned to Spike and he watched the hurt that flickered against Spike's face when all expression leaked away from Faye's face. Leaving it cold and yet still as beautiful, perhaps even more beautiful because of it. Like a statue made of marble, cold and ruthless.

"Faye, please sit down." Spike asked politely. Horatio helped her out of her leather jacket before she sat. They waited until Faye made herself comfortable on the chair and crossed her legs. She moved silently, efficiently with no fuss, no unnecessary moves. Her hair slithered over her left shoulder and she flicked it back then lifted her eyes to them. It settled on theirs calmly, eyes blank of all emotion. It almost hurt to look at them.

Then suddenly her eyes warmed, brightened. Her trademark cocky smile decorated her blood red lips. She leaned back on her chair, at ease and relax. The cold and unfeeling look in her eyes were a distant memory. A niggling at the back of their heads. Jet watched as she smirked at Spike.

"Hard to believe it. You, a syndicate leader. The Red Dragons no less. I had to see it to believe it. It gave me a few chuckles each time I thought about it."

Jet searched her face, for a glimmer of a lie in that smile, in that face and found none. It unnerved him to see her lie so well, because he knew she was lying, to put on a fake face so fast, so easy. It bugged the hell out of him.

"Did you think of it often?"

Green eyes slid towards Spike, glittered mockingly.

"You'd like to think so, wouldn't you? Not really, just every time I see one of your dogs following me around." She burrowed herself more deeply in the chair, sliding her hands on the leather like she was testing the merchandise or something.

He kept his eyes on her face as she looked around, noting the amusement and derision in her eyes. He guessed that was the expression on his face an hour ago when he first laid his eyes on this room.

"Well, I'm glad you did well for yourself though it's pretty ironic the way you tried so hard to escape it but you ended up as one despite of it."

She tapped a manicured finger on the arm of her chair, Jet wished desperately for something strong to drink but having the both of them get too close to something flammable didn't seem like a good idea.

"Tell me, Spike." She tapped her finger again against the arm of her chair.

_Oh God, Oh God. Tell you what? Tell you what?_, Jet hoped that she wouldn't say anything stupid.

"How many of your lives had you tossed away to get out of this place?" She tilted her head, the expression that she wore was a mild curiosity, taking the sting out of the question or Jet hoped that it would.

Spike's tawny eyes rose from his silver lighter that shone brightly in the sunlight.

"More than I care to count." He answered, taking out a cigarette from a silver slim cigarette case. Jet cocked an eyebrow at the expensive looking case and it apparently Faye did too.

"Fancy. You pretty much have everything now, huh?"

Spike lit up and the three of them watched the smoke that slithered and danced around in the shifting light towards the ceiling. Spike shrugged.

"Pretty much. Why did you stop smoking?"

Jet looked on as Faye sent him a wide smile.

"I learned that it can kill you."

Jet knew that she was lying. She'd quit because it reminded her too much of him. She'd confessed that much to him when she was drunk somewhere in the past.

Jet saw Spike frowned and he followed his gaze, Faye was rubbing a hand to her stomach.

"Does it still hurt?" Jet asked. He noticed the movements of her hand, where it touched the place where the bullet went through not so long ago.

Faye turned towards him. "Not really. It's more.. the memory than the wound."

He nodded, understanding it. A wound may heal, but the scars remain, the body reminds us of what happened. What may happen or what can happen again. This is the reason why he, sometimes when he thought nobody was looking, rubs his mechanical arm.

For some it's a constant annoyance, an every day reminder of failure, of death. For some it's a slap to the face, an insult. Some people use it, to make a better life for themselves. A reminder of how uncomfortably close they were to death, they see it as a sign on a second chance in life. Some people use it as a fuel, as a learning curve, a knock in the head for making a mistake.

For him, it was the latter. Whereas for Spike.. The scars, the twinging pain that accompanies it every time he woke up was a tally for the many times he'd escaped death and that he had escaped death far too many to count. That fascinating tidbit, he also found out when Spike was drunk not so long ago. He always found out stuffs about his comrades when they were too drunk to guard themselves. He didn't know how he should feel about that.

"So, how does it feel to be a syndicate leader and have so many minions to boss around?"

Jet winced at the question but Spike seemed to take it very well. He didn't know why, but her apparent relax behavior made him nervous and wary. A quick glance at Spike told him that he was feeling the same thing. He watched her closely behind his cloud of smoke. He couldn't read those eyes, that face. She wasn't called Poker Alice for nothing.

"It has its moments."

_Bet this isn't one of them, _Jet shifted in his seat and watched Spike gave her his own cocky grin in return. His lanky body draped over the throne like chair which Jet thought was tacky but like a lot of things in Spike's office, they serve a purpose.

Spike pressed the cigarette butt into the ashtray with more force than was necessary, his only show of the emotions that stormed within. He had planned this moment in his mind, but it was no use.

He was never clever with words, never had any used for them. For him, a gun said more than a thousand words, and in his circle it was enough. But for a minute there he wished he was more like Jason who could compose poetry in his sleep or even when a gun was pointed at his head. Maybe, just maybe, if he were, what he was going to do wouldn't be so hard.

Jet was no helped either, Spike could practically see the thoughts buzzing in his mind but it didn't seem like he would be sharing it anytime soon. At least not to him.

All he wanted to do now was to kick everyone of them outside and brooded, but she was already here. Wanting, no, demanding answers.

He didn't know whether he should be thankful or considered himself cursed when Faye herself gave him the opening to what he was about to explain to her.

"But we're not here to discuss that, right? We're here to discuss me. Are we going to begin anytime soon? Any guess on why the Alligieri's following me around?"

"We have our suspicions."

He watched as Faye cocked an eyebrow, waiting him to continue. Spike knew her enough, and she knew him enough to know what he was about to say wasn't good. Now she was probably trying to figure out whether it wasn't good for them in general or if it wasn't good for either one of them.

"We have ourselves a delicate position, Faye."

Her cat-like eyes narrowed.

"Since when have you understand the word delicate, Spike? It's not usually a word that I can associate with you. With me for that matter."

Spike appreciated her wit with a bland look and stayed that way when she rolled her eyes.

"How delicate?" she asked and turned towards Jet when she sensed him moved. Spike had also notice that he'd been very quiet and very still. "Jet?"

"Egg shells delicate." He answered when Jet stayed quiet. Obviously Jet didn't want to have anything to do with him right now. But at least he hadn't completely thrown him to the wolves.

Faye returned her eyes towards his steady pair of tawny eyes that was surveying her quietly, then flicked a glance towards the both of them impatiently.

"Look guys, in the length of time we've spent together, we've never been subtle, let's not start now. Spit it out."

_Spit it out she says. And if I do that she'd served my head on a platter, probably used my platter too, _Spike turned towards the huge screen on his left as it flickered to life.

"Okay. What am I watching here?"

Her carelessness and impatience grated on his already raw nerves.

"Patience is a virtue, Faye."

"And since when have you thought of me as virtuous, Spike?"

He was about to bite when he saw her face. The look on her face was distracted and absent, her words were merely a sass reflex to always have the last word. Instead of the screen his eyes stayed on her face, watching her expression.

He saw the flash of recognition in her eyes and he also spotted the thing he dreaded most when he first realized what he was watching.

A spurt of joy and a whisper of love that shadowed her face when she realized what it was.

"How did you get this?" Her voice was calm, not by a tremor, not by a flicker of an eyelash did she betray her feelings. If he hadn't kept her eyes on her when she was watching the screen, he would think that she didn't have any recognition of what she was watching.

"Someone sent it to you."

She looked at him at that and almost snarled the question.

"Sent it to me. And it accidentally fell into your hands?"

Spike blew a cloud of smoke, trying to look careless.

"Something like that."

Spike watched as she gritted her teeth but accepted the answer. Spike almost admired her attempt at patience, but he wished that she would scream at him and he could get it over with. But she merely looked back at him calmly, waiting for what will come next.

"We need to know why someone think you should have this. We need to know why you were there, what work did you do and what your connection is with this guy."

"You probably know more about that place than I do."

"Yes, but what we need to know is your connection to the things that we know."

"Then why don't you tell me what you guys know first, then I tell you what I know."

"Why can't you just do what I tell you?" Spike's tone was exasperated.

Faye tilted her head and looked honestly surprised.

"I'm surprise that you expect me to."

She felt something cold touched her arm, the feeling of it and the familiar weight of it was the only reason why she hadn't jerked away. She turned and faced Jet's deep black eyes.

"Faye."

Faye felt her heart fluttered at the look in his eyes, his face. The face that she started to love as only a daughter could and saw the lines and the shadows that only age could make.

_He really is getting old_, fear crept slyly into her heart.

"Fine. I'll tell you." She felt the squeeze on her hand before he let it go. Faye looked back on the screen where only darkness remained but she needed something to look at. She took a deep breath as she decided where to start.

"His name is Rain Alhasa and he owned a dive back at Jupiter. He was…" She stopped, hesitated, and started over. "I've been offered many things, countless people had offered me wealth, excitement, passion. Once someone had even offered me love." Her face softened, a wistful smile appeared as she remembered.

"They were people who had promised me everything, anything just so I would be with them, so I could work for them. If I wanted I could have been swimming in money, diamonds."

"And you would've been bored to death in a week." Spike commented and she, in a moment of temporary truce, nodded at him. A small smile on her face.

"Oh, four days tops but I would've still enjoyed it."

"But it wasn't what you wanted." Jet's voice was deep and calm. Faye nodded.

"It wasn't what I wanted. So I moved from place to place, seeing different places, different people from all walks of life. Doing whatever that I thought would amused me."

"Lying, cheating, gambling, drinking, stealing."

Faye laughed and turned towards Jet who smirked at her.

"Of course. You know, the simple pleasures in life."

Jet chuckled while Spike merely looked on silently at them.

"Even then people kept offering, promising and I kept rejecting. I never stayed to long in one place, with one person. Always alone, always moving. Not so different from now." She raised her eyes and watched the rays of sunlight danced in the air. "And then I met Rain."

She still remembered it as clearly as it was yesterday, she remembered the smell of his aftershave mixed with the scent of smoke and brandy. The palm of his hands were rough but his hold was always gentle but firm. His voice was a creamy, rich tenor and she'd enjoyed waking up to the sound of him singing a lovely ballad or a frolicking fun song as he opened or closed the bar or even those Italian opera songs that he loved so much. She remembered that she'd always wake up and slept with a smile on her face.

"Rain was..amiable, simple, fair. Moody perhaps but nice about it. I don't know how to explain it. He was..decent." Faye stopped, unsure of the word. "We met when he caught me cheating on one of his tables, he rushed me aside. Thought I would get a beating but I could take care of myself so I wasn't worried." Faye, finally realizing where she was and her audience, raised her head, "Well in short, he gave me a job and I accepted as you probably know."

"Why?"

Faye looked at Spike, frowned.

"Why what?"

"Why did you accept it? Why him, why that?"

Faye stared at him, considered her words.

"Because he didn't offer me everything, didn't promise me anything. He merely offered what he could, gave me only what he could. And that was all I wanted."

Jet turned to Faye.

"You wanted a job in bar? That's what you wanted?"

Faye blinked then chuckled and shook her head.

"No. He gave me self dignity, pride, two things I get every time I held the money that he gave me for a job well done. God, I worked my ass off in that bar, hauling and scraping off muck from the tables, the chairs, the FLOOR, the dishes." She smiled at the memory. "I was a waiter, a singer, a bartender, a janitor for Pete's sake, I did everything that I can get my hands on and all I got from him was some woolongs and a casual pat on the head like I was eight years old. Somehow, I wanted his approval."

Faye shifted uncomfortably at the last sentence, she didn't mean to say that out loud.

"He made me work, learn, manage, then one day I realized I'd been staying in that place longer than I've ever stayed anywhere. "It started to be..well..something."

_It started to be home_, Faye thought. She felt the old familiar feeling that always comes whenever she thought of that run down bar and she shook herself free of it.

"Was he one of yours?"

Spike lifted an eyebrow and Faye shrugged.

"When you work in a place for some time you get a feel to the place, to its moods, its workings. People didn't just respect him, they feared him. Places like his doesn't last long if they don't have a deal with some of the local gangs; deal some of their drugs, sell some of their water down booze, handle some of their women. But Rain's place was clean, almost respectable even. The local gangs were small but they could still do a lot of damage but they always left him and his alone. So, the only explanation to that is either he's a real crazily scary guy or he has some connections in the syndicate or a syndicate himself. Was he?"

"He's not. At least not mine."

"From the angle of the shots it looks like it's surveillance. Why were they watching him?" Faye squinted her eyes towards the screen.

"Why do you think that they were watching him not you?"

"Because they focused more on him and they only seemed to take an interest on me when I was with him." Her voice was casual, her eyes following the events on the screen.

"Maybe they thought you were his lover."

Jet felt everyone else in the room tensed. There was a vibration in the air that was not present before the question tumbled out of Spike's lips. Everyone in the room knew Spike had spent the night at Faye's. The line of questioning was beginning to sound personal, Jet shifted on his seat.

Faye's eyes flickered. A graceful sweep of lashes in the silence that followed the question. Just a little twitched of the eyelids and yet that little action said so many things.

"Are you asking me whether Rain and I were lovers?" Faye's voice was sly and smooth. She almost crooned the question.

A few seconds ticked by with Spike watching Faye like she would disappear if he ever took her eyes off her and Faye shielding her eyes with her lashes. Jet found himself twitching nervously before finally Faye lifted her eyes to meet Spike's.

"I thought about it. Maybe he thought about it. But we decided that any relationship between us would be too.. volatile. We'd probably burn each other out in a matter of days. He cared for me and I cared for him. That was more than I could say about my other ..indiscretions." Her eyes looked straight at him, smiling brightly.

Jet looked at the both of them, watched them throw verbal punches at each other and wondered which one of them would be the first to crack. For a second there, he thought it would be Spike but Spike merely shifted and settled calmly, he even looked more relaxed then before which Jet knew that it only meant that he was starting to feel the strain of the conversation.

"But come to think of it, maybe he didn't have any connection with a syndicate. He had a distaste for them."

"How do you know?"

"I just got the impression that he did. His dislike was apparent, underlining his every word. He warned me not to get involve with them. Too late now, huh?"

"What did he say exactly?"

Faye shrugged, her eyes had already shifted to the screen.

"Don't get involve with any of the syndicates, in fact don't even go near one of them because once you get involve, the only way to escape them-"

"Is to die." Continued Spike. A small smile curved Faye's lips.

"I forgot you tried that, didn't work well for you though." Faye took a deep breath. "Look, Spike. I've been answering your questions patient enough, can't you just tell me what's going on? Who sent this to me? Was it the Alligieri's? Is he one of them? What's the connection. Why did they send me this?"

"Someone from the Alligieri's sent this. I don't know why just yet. Maybe they need something from you, maybe information. Maybe they sent this to jog your memory or it serves as a calling card."

"Is he one of them?"

"Does it matter?"

"Yes."

Spike's eyes were guarded and thoughtful.

"He's one of them. The heir to the throne."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

Her smooth brow settled into a frown.

"What was he doing in Jupiter?"

Spike flicked off an imaginary lint on the sleeve of his jacket. The red dragon embroidery glared against the black cloth, usually he never wore his official coat except for business but he needed it this time. To distance himself, to remind himself what he is, who he is now. He was not that happy go lucky bounty hunter two years ago but it's so easy to settle back into that part of his identity with Jet and Faye standing right here in the same room with him.

"Rain Alhasa didn't approve of the way his family run the business. He didn't want anything to do with his family. He surrendered his position to his sister. Marlena Alligieri."

"Then moved to Jupiter and opened a bar?"

Spike shrugged.

"Pretty much."

"The family probably didn't accept his leaving as simple as that, did they?"

"They didn't really say goodbye with smiles on their faces. If he was weak, if he was stupid, if he was reckless, if he wasn't the only son, they would. But he was far from all that. Rhine Alhasa probably fit the position as head Alligieri more than his sister. He just didn't want to and that was unheard of."

"So what did they do?"

"There was nothing they could do then hope he would run his so call business to the ground or he would get bored enough that he would come home."

Faye scoffed.

"They would have a long wait in front of them. He loved that shitty hole of his."

_So did you,_ Spike thought but wisely kept his mouth shut.

"They still watched over him, nothing big, merely a few stake outs."

"What happened?"

"What do you mean?"

"Don't play dumb with me, Spike. What happen to him? What happen to the bar? One day the bar was there, the it wasn't. It was burned to the ground, what happen to him? How did it happen? Is he still alive? Is he dead? What happen?"

Spike's head snapped towards her. His eyes sharp.

"You were there?"

"What do you mean I was there?"

"You were in Jupiter when it happened? When the bar got burned down?"

Faye shrugged.

"I wasn't at the bar par se. He sent me for some stupid supplies, when I came back I found it burnt to the ground."

She shrugged again, trying to show that it meant nothing to her but the bravado wasn't good enough.

"It was still burning when I came."

Spike stared at her, trying not to show his thoughts on his face but even the thought of it settled a sick twisting sense of doom inside of him.

_Just minutes too late, if she arrived a couple of minutes sooner, she would've been in the bar. _

_She would've seen me. _

_And I would've killed her._


	32. Shape Of My Heart

He may play the jack of diamonds

He may lay the queen of spades

He may conceal a king in his hand

While the memory of it fades

And if I told you that I loved you

You'd maybe think there's something wrong

I'm not a man of too many faces

The mask I wear is one

Shape of My Heart, Sting

_It was dark, the only light came from a single candle on the bar. It gleamed, red in the darkness. The smell of stale beer, alcohol and sweat wafted to his nostrils as he slid in like a shadow, soundless, effortless. But to his surprise, he also smelt something sweet and fresh, there was a flash of white at the corner of the bar and as he came closer he realized it was roses. Somebody hopeful put a handful of daisies and some other flower in a black vase, probably hoping it would brighten up the room. He almost choked on the scoff that threatened to get out but he couldn't help but look at it a second time._

_ The candlelight bounced of the stack of glasses and the bar that was wiped and waxed till it shone. It gave the image that he was in one of those mirror houses that people liked so much to go when the circus came to town._

_ The bar certainly wasn't like any of the bar he'd been too, it was clean for one thing, and sort of comfortable. He could imagine himself sitting back, closing his eyes for a minute or two. At least before somebody held up a gun to his head._

_ A flurry of movement alerted him and he faded into the shadows, a skill honed and mastered in his years in the syndicate. A perfected craft among assassins, he let the stillness washed over him. Creeping at someone's back was not his usual style, he prefer to go out with a bang but orders were orders. Discreet, unobtrusive, ruthless. Failure was not an option._

_ His prey was about his size, tall and dark, he almost blended in the darkness just as good as he did. He was holding a rag in one hand and glass in one. He was humming. The song was something majestic and sad. He kept looking at his watch like he was waiting for something. _

_ The man put down the rag and he almost jolted in surprise when the man raised his eyes to meet his in the background mirror at the bar. _

_ "You're stalling. Why?" _

_ He blinked, hesitated but with a shrug came out of the shadows._

_ "What do you mean?"_

_ He always found that claiming ignorance was always the best way to get out of a problem. But the man at the bar merely raised an eyebrow._

_ "Please, at very least, don't insult my intelligence." The man stood and rummaged through a closet and came out with a triumphant grin on his face, a bottle in his hand._

_ "My secret stash." He flipped two glasses on the bar and continued to fill them with an amber colored liquid._ _He pushed them towards him, his black long hair falling to his face. He flicked it back casually. "Don't worry, I don't do poisons."_

_ The boy in front of him in his somber black coat stared back at him with even somber eyes._

_ "I don't drink."_

_ Again, he raised a black eyebrow, his equally black eyes searched his would be killer's face._

_ "That will change." The amber liquid sloshed in his glass as he filled it to the brim. He drank it in silence, savoring what he knew could be his last drink. A face flashed before his mind and he glanced at his watch._

_ The boy caught the movement._

_ "Are you waiting for reinforcements?"_

_ The question caught him off guard, he laughed._

_ "God, no. No. I'm trying to avoid them."_

_ The boy's eyes darkened with suspicion._

This one started so young_, he thought as he sipped on his glass._

_ "You never answered my question. Why did you stall?"_

_ The boy's tawny eyes flickered._

_ "I don't like shooting people in the back."_

_ He smiled._

_ "Then maybe there's hope for you, yet."_

_ "Hope for what?"_

_ "For living."_

_ "The only one's going to die here is you."_

_ "A big chance for that, yes."_

_ The boy got a pack of cigarettes from the inside pocket of his coat and a lighter and he clucked his tongue._

_ "That can kill you, you know."_

_ The boy glanced at him, inserted the cigarette between his lips and lit it anyway. "I've heard that rumor too." _

_ "What is it with you young people and cigarettes? It's a disgusting habit."_

_ The boy blew a bluish tinge smoke at him. It spread like mist in the candle light, framing his face._

Older than his age this one, _he thought._

_ "It's better than drinking." _

_ He blinked then shrugged. "True. Anyway, back to the business at hand. Did they tell you anything about me?"_

_ "Why do you ask?"_

_ The man raised an eyebrow._

_ "Let's just say for curiosity sake."_

_ The boy watched the man in front him with steady eyes while he looked back at him with equally steady eyes. He was nothing like any of his other assignments. First of all he was mighty calm about it all which probably meant he was trying to do something, but he was still not sure what it was._

_ "They told me that you need to be handled with care."_

_ The man almost smiled._

_ "Handled with care. What does that mean exactly?"_

_ "I am to be discreet, quiet, thorough."_

_ The man nodded then tilted his head. His black hair shone in the candle light and the amber liquid in his glass seemed to burned._

_ "Do you know why they sent you here to kill me?"_

_ "What do you mean?"_

_ "Don't you think it's a little strange that they would want to kill a mere bar owner in the downtown slums of Jupiter?"_

I don't think there's anything mere about you_, the boy raised his ciggarete to his lips._

_ "I don't ask questions."_

_ The man raised shrewd eyes to his._

_ "It's better not to know, is that it?" _

_ The boys patience was wearing thin, he could see it in the snap in his eyes. "It's not my job to ask questions. If I wanted to ask questions I would be working in Intelligence." _

_ The man glanced at his watch then suddenly stood from his chair._

_ "Well, come on."_

_ "Where are you going?"_

_ The man picked up his battered coat and swung it on his shoulders. He was wearing a shirt of the palest yellow with the top two buttons unfastened, his blue thin tie hanging loose and flopping to and fro while he shrugged into his jacket._

_ "I don't want it to happen here." He said, jerked opened the door and flooded the room with light that shifted and surrounded his body as he stood in front of the door, blocking it. The boy squinted his eyes and followed him out the door, closing the door behind them, casting the room to darkness as the red candle guttered down and died._

_ There was only darkness, the smell of ciggarettes and flowers._

_The air was heavy with the promise of rain. There was the sharp scent of gun powder and something else._

_The sound of footsteps echoed down the alley as the first drop of rain trickled down the roof tops, a streak of lightning highlighted the figure that was standing over somebody who was leaning on the wall. He was tall, young, and wiry, with green hair and tawny eyes. He stood silently over the slouching figure that clutched a hand to his side and grunted in pain._

_"Nice shot. I barely nicked you."_

_"You got my arm."_

_ The man on leaning on the wall scoffed, he hissed as he felt the warm sticky liquid leaking out of his fingers._

_"Spare Valentina."_

_"Valentina?"_

_The slouching man coughed, he was breathing heavily. His left hand dropped the gun he was holding and he slid on his back to sit on the wet ground. "She's the one with emerald eyes. Hard to miss her." He managed a grin. "Burn the bar. I don't want her to stay."_

_"Why not?"_

_His face was slick, wet by sweat and rain. His blood tinged the ground red. "This is not the life for her."_

_The one who stood in front of him crouched down._

_"Who are you?"_

_The man laughed, and coughed out blood. He leaned his head against the wall behind him._

_"Too late for that. Go, burn the bar to the ground, before she gets back. Please."_

_ The crouching man stared at him with silent eyes._

_ "Just end it. Get it over with." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. _

_He didn't feel the last bullet that was lodged in his brain._

_ His killer lowered his gun, take a long last look of the man that even riddled with bullet holes appeared as though he was merely asleep. _

_Spike Spiegal turned and walked out of the ally letting the rain washed all the existence of blood._


	33. The Hurting Time

And all the things you never said

Or didn't have the strength to say

And everything you ever did

That time won't ever wash away

Fears that you've been living' with

Come running' down your face

Running' down your face

When the hurting' time begins...

A million little deaths you've died

The times that you've been crucified

The more you've loved and lost and tried

And still could not be satisfied

When will you be satisfied?

When will you be satisfied?

Not till the hurting' time begins

The Hurting Time by Annie Lennox

"Valentina." He whispered.

Spike saw the shock that swept across Faye's face when she whipped her head to look at him.

"What did you say?" Her voice was intense and so were her eyes. Spike looked into those eyes and smiled ironically.

_Why didn't I figured it out sooner? _

She's the one with emerald eyes. Hard to miss her

_I'll say._

Spike laughed softly, at her, at himself, at the world.

"Spike?" Jet's black eyes watched him carefully. Spike shook his head, trying to get rid of the memory that felt like a heavy weight on his brain, and his shoulders.

Fate had a way of fucking with him.

"Spike, you said something." Faye's face was suspicious and intense. He gave her a crooked smile.

"Did I?"

The nonchalant and careless way that he asked the question, the tightness around his eyes raised alarms in Faye's head.

"You know something." Her eyes gleamed with suspicion. "What is it?"

Jet flicked worried eyes towards them both, he heard the name, watched Faye's reaction to it. The fact that Spike didn't mention the name to him before at their so called briefing made him frown.

"Did you use another name when you were there? An alias?"

"No, I used my real name."

Spike lifted a hand on the table, touching the palm of his right hand on the surface of the table with a purposeful air. He watched the process of that with such a focus that everyone started to follow his eyes. It was a trick that he learned, focusing on something with a single-minded purpose to help him concentrate on the matter at hand. It helped him stripped off all unnecessary thoughts and get to the core of things. But his concentration fumbled and wavered.

"But Rain used to call me Valentina. You knew." Her eyes were slits of distrust. "You just called me that. How did you know that, he only called me that when we're alone? How did-?"

Spike could almost see the wheels in her head shifting and reassembling that resulted in a concise thought. She paled.

"You know him. You've talked with him before."

Not by a twitch did Spike give up his thoughts.

"You do. Where did you meet him? Where?"

Spike saw hope bloomed in her eyes, in her face, in the emotions that ran across her face like the light that streamed down from the window behind him. It looked just as soft, just as smooth when he saw it by moonlight.

He wondered if she had the same look on her face when he heard the very rumours of his death, or of his resurrection.

He wiped that expression from her face with two words.

"He's dead."

The wild hope that threatened to strangle her heart withered and died. She stared at Spike's expressionless face. She knew it was too good to be true, but she thought maybe, just maybe.

Fate had a way of fucking with her.

Although she didn't spend much time in that old run down bar, but the moments where she did, stayed with her through the endless moving and constant running. The memory of that bar was always crystal clear and dreams of it always felt real. She remembered the creaking second stair, the three legged chair that you have to sit on by just the right angle if you don't want to fall on your ass. The door that you have to kick on the right corner before you open it, the smells, the scents.

The man who owned it.

The first person that treated her like a friend, and hadn't ask for anything but good honest work. Who gave her self-respect back, who respected her just for being the person that she is. Rain was decent, was good. Her life was not touched by a lot of things that was decent and good.

A lot of people that she knew had died and she felt remorse or sadness for them.

But people die.

It was a fact of live that she never questioned. But somehow, Rain's death was different. He was the heir of an empire, but escaped that life and managed to find a life of his own in a heap of bricks he called a bar. He was happy, he was content living in that bar. He didn't do anything wrong, he didn't go out looking for trouble. He was dead, because of who he was, not because of what he was. He was murdered, because someone wanted to send out a message to his family and he just happened to be the perfect target.

And that she couldn't accept.

She swallowed the bile, the sorrow and the bitterness and felt her throat burned.

"But you knew him."

"I don't."

Faye's eyes was sharp and glinted dangerously but before she opened her mouth Spike raised a hand to stop her.

"I met him once. We've talked, once. I didn't know his name, or who he was."

Faye frowned.

"Then how did you guys met? When? Where?"

She didn't realize that Shin and Jet tensed, just as Spike's body relaxed inch by inch.

"We met years ago, at the bar."

Faye stood up straighter in her chair.

"You met at the bar? Did we ever meet?"

"No, you weren't there."

"Why were you-" Faye raised her eyes to his mismatched ones, then slid her eyes to Jet.

"Years ago." She took a deep breath. "Were you still in the syndicate?"

Jet swallowed because his mouth was dry. His body ached because it was so tensed, he knew that Faye was starting to connect the dots, but she was still willing to give the benefit of doubt. At the very edge of his eyes, he caught the shifting bodies of her private detail, he saw they were already coming to the same conclusion, shock, and dread mirrored in their eyes. It added to the sense of doom that he felt. Jet saw Spike shifted his body.

"Yes."

Faye's eyes flicker and the tension from her vibrated in the air. It almost felt electric, Jet could feel the hair on his arms and the nape stood up. "What were you doing in the bar, Spike."

"An assignment." His tone was dispassionate. Bland.

"An assignment." She repeated, rolling the word on her tongue like something unusual. "You said you've met him." She was still trying to get the thought around her head. She knew he was capable of it even she was capable of it, but this was different. This was the first time they were on different sides. Denial came in a rush of emotions but all that whisk away by Spike's next words.

"I killed him."


	34. Pale September

Pale September, I wore the time like a dress that year

The autumn days swung soft around me, like cotton on my skin

But as the embers of the summer lost their breath and disappeared

My heart went cold and only hollow rhythms resounded from within

But then he rose, brilliant as the moon in full

And sank in the burrows of my keep

And all my armor falling down, in a pile at my feet

And my winter giving way to warm, as I'm singing him to sleep

Pale September by Fiona Apple

_Faye started when the light over her head died and in her haste bumped her knee on a chair_. _Faye swore loudly and a man laughed. _

_ "That word doesn't really suit your face, sweetheart." She gave him a dark glare at the general vicinity of his voice. She rubbed a pale hand on her throbbing knee and waited for her eyes to get use to the dark until she moved again. She saw his silhouette in front of the back door. She turned to him._

_ "You rely too much on your eyes. There are a lot of things that you can only see with your eyes closed." The man weaved his way through the chairs and tables easily. Faye merely scowled, determined not be impressed._

_"Why did you turn off the light? Are we cutting down the electric bills or something?" She reached for a rag and wiped the empty glasses stacked high beside her elbow. _

_ He vacated a stool chair across from her at the bar and she heard the sharp clink of his lighter, then there was a quick flare of light as he lit a dark red huge candle at the edge of the bar._

_ "No, I just felt like it." He pushed the candle closer to her until the quiet calming glow of it reached her face. He had a terrible need to see her face. He waited until the candle light started to flicker into life and strengthen until it reached the middle of the room. He saw her eyes gleamed in the light like a cats. The slow feline smile that curved on her lips drew a small one from his._

_ "What?" He asked her as he plucked a white large flower that she brought in earlier and twirled it in his fingers. It gave him a jolt when he saw her carry them, saw the jumble of colors and shapes and scents of them in her arms, he didn't expect to see the sweet female pleasure in her eyes as she plopped it into a vase and fussed with it. It reminded him that she was still so young and that she had no business being here._

_ Faye flashed a smile that turned into a full blown grin._

_ "Are you trying to be romantic?" She faked a suspicious look in her eyes, not so unlike the one she always wore not so long ago. They had gone a long way. Faye chuckled when he grinned back at her. His black eyes, endless in the dark. The warm glow from the candle mirrored in his eyes. She watched him flicked back his long hair and looked at her._

_ "When you leave, where will you be going?" he asked. He brought the white flower to his nose and sniffed, the flower was seductively fragrant. _

_"Somewhere warm, somewhere with an ocean." Faye put down a glass and picked up another one. It was a game they played where he'd ask her next destination, and she'd make up stories about what she'd do when she got there. None of them brought up the fact that days past them by and she kept on staying. She watched him shifted on his seat, laid his head on his folded arms and watched her watched him. She painted a scene that was almost domestic, with her owning a house by the sea, with a garden where she'd plant big exotic blooms and take care of cat with a heart as fickle as her own. He smiled at the image. "Planning on sailing?"_

_ She shrugged and returned to wipe the glass in her hand._

_ "Maybe."_

_ She raised her eyes to his when he laid a hand on hers. She felt the weight and warmth of it and tilted her head, questioning the disquieting air that seemed to settled around him. She saw it in his eyes, in his mood._

_ "Will you? Really?"_

_ There was an intensity, and urgency in his voice that disturbed her._

_ "Will I really what?"_

_ "Quit this life and live by the sea."_

_ Faye lifted an eyebrow._

_ "You say 'this life' like it's a bad thing."_

_ "It's not for you."_

_ Faye smiled and flicked off a careless hand._

_ "This life suits me."_

_ "I don't want it to be."_

_ The smile on her face faded at the quiet tone of his voice. He still hadn't let go of her hand and the expression on his handsome face was so different from what she was used to._

_ "What do you want it to be?"_

_ "That quiet life by the sea."_

_ Faye stared off to space, allowed herself to imagine just for a moment. Then shook off the dream and chuckled._

_ "A quiet life is not for me." She angled her head and looked at him. Their shadows ran and inched forward on the wall beside them. The silence was soothing and the scent of flowers enveloped them like a soft flimsy cloud. She smiled. "This life is good enough for me."_

_ "I want more for you." _

_ "This _is_ more for me."_

_ His dark eyes searched her face for long minute then smiled sadly. He tucked the white bloom behind her hair where it tangled with her shoulder length hair. She smiled at him and did something that surprised the both of them. She pressed her cheek against his fingers, a soft smile on her face. Something like contentment, a somewhat sweet yet poignant emotion slid through her heart and stayed. Their eyes met and Faye thought that she detected a flicker of guilt in his eyes but there was also hope._

_ "Well, if you do feel like that, I expect you to do your best."_

_ Faye looked down her straight little nose at him._

_ "Excuse me? I always do my best." She made her tone just a little insulted that she knew would make him smile._

_ "Then I can trust you to get our stocks from the __Omega__Bay__, can't I?" His voice that was so serious later turned sly and crafty. Faye narrowed her eyes._

_ "That's halfway across town."_

_ "Uh huh." His fingers were still playing with her hair._

_ "And that's Micheal's job." Faye's face turned sullen._

_ "I'm promoting you."_

_ "It feels more like a demotion than a promotion."_

_ "You did say that this is the life for you." His eyes wide and his smile sweet. She didn't trust it one bit and snarled at him._

_ "You're going to throw that in my face everytime I don't do what I'm told, won't you? I should've known it was just some trick to manipulate me."_

_ "You're still young, sweetheart. You'll learn. Now, go away." He leaned towards her and pressed a soft kiss on her lips. She bared her teeth but only he laughed at her. Faye had a strong urge to pout but didn't want him to give him the ammunition to tease her, she tossed her hair and sniffed._

_ "Fine. I'll do it." She vaulted herself out of the bar and stood beside him. "But just because you're far too lazy and old too to do it."_

_ His lips twitched._

_ "Of course."_

_ She slid her eyes towards him trying to find any trace of sarcasm but found none. She sniffed again and strutted across the room._

_ She opened the door and let sunlight drifted into the room. Overshadowing the candlelight._

_ "Valentina." _

_ She turned her sullen face towards him but felt something smiled in her when she looked at him sitting on a stool, alone with only the company of a single candle and flowers. _

_ "Be safe. Be happy." His tone of voice was quiet again and she wondered at the mood swings. _

_ But it was such a long time since someone said that too her so she gave him a smile as wide and sincere that she can manage._

_ "I am happy." She turned and didn't note the focus in which he looked at her, asthough he was trying to catch the moment where she stood there, smiling, with the light behind her and a flower in her hair. She turned away from him but took a last glance at the figure when something from out of the blue, bothered her. Their eyes met._

_ "Woman, close the damn door and get a move on."_

_ She laughed and did._

_ Faye smiled when the scent of the white flower in her hair reached her as she walked towards the bar with cheerful steps. Then she frowned when she detected something else in the wind. Smoke. Her heart did a sudden twist and her so perfect world seemed to tilt. She broke into a run and bumped to several people before something in her eyes made everyone stayed out of her way._

_ Her heart jumped to her throat when she reached the corner and saw a big crowd in front of what used to be her bar. Smoke reached the sky like angry dark clouds, red licking flames engulphed it like rage, leaving nothing._

_ Her breath hitched, but that was just from the run, she told herself. This is nothing. It was just a bar. Just a thing that can be build again._

But it won't be the same_, some small part of her screamed and grieved. She felt the heat coming off in waves from the burning building as she fought her way to the front of the crowd._

_ Her eyes found a familiar face._

_ "Atgar. Where is he?" _

_She looked away at the dark look in his eyes._

No no no no no no_, her heart kept on screaming and she didn't see the way Atgar blanched at the look in her eyes. Her eyes were dead._

_ She didn't say anything, did anything but just stood there in the rain for hours. She stood there until the last flame disappeared in the rain and then finally turned away. _

_ And in the place where she stood was a big white bloom, fluttering in the wind._


	35. Complicated Questions

Tear out this love

Tear up the root

Tear out this love

Tear me from you

You know you can tell me anything you want to

Tell me something that I'd never know

Could be cautious as the words roll over your tongue

I'm stung with sick discovery

Tear me from these complicated questions

Taking all the empty spaces inside me

But complicated answers never did you any justice anyway

Complicated as we are we're going have to burn it all away

Complicated Questions by Finger Eleven

Ice. Jet searched for a word in his mind to describe her reaction. Not even a flicker of emotion showed on her face, not a muscle moved, even her eyes didn't change.

She just.. froze.

Jet suppressed a shudder then he blinked and she was human again but tension sprung from her like a vicious animal just before an attack. The tension was so thick, so heavy that it clung to him, weighted him down. He shifted in his seat and brought back his eyes to Spike.

Spike was watching her with an almost casual interest in his eyes but Jet saw the tightness around his eyes and mouth.

Jet wondered why fate played around with them so much. He had an image of a mean child playing around in her very own playground.

Spike and Faye fought before, angrily, viciously, spitefully. Sometimes they were even mean and cruel. But this was the first time they were ever on opposing sides.

Jet can only imagine the repercussions, the amount of destruction that both can do against eachother. To eachother.

They were too alike; volatile and reckless, smart and intuitive. Loyal.

It was that loyalty that brought Spike down on THE RED DRAGONS headquarters like an anvenging angel and it was also that kind of loyalty that will make Faye weaved a path of destruction to the same place if they weren't careful.

The irony of it all wasn't even funny. And he used to think that he had a somewhat flexible sense of humor.

"You killed him." Her voice, soft as it was, cut through the unnatural silence of the room. "How?"

"Faye-" Jet started but was cut off by Spike.

"A bullet."

She closed her eyes, just for a second, the only betraying action of what she felt inside. The breath that she drew was shaky but her voice was steady.

"I think this is enough for one day."

Jet made a move to stand up.

"You do know why The Alligieri's sent you this?"

Faye, like Jet had made a move to stand up, but she sat back again.

"Of course."

"They want revenge."

Finally a spark of anger flickered in her eyes.

"I know what they want."

"Then what are you going to do?"

"You of all people should know, Spike, that I don't like to be used." Faye stood up and looked down on Spike. "Now, if you excuse me."

Spike watched as Faye turned away and walked across the room to his office door. Jet nodded his head to him and followed her.

"You still have to take your private detail with you." Spike stood up and stood beside his table. She didn't look back, she didn't even stop.

"Fuck you, Spike."

"Don't leave the planet."

"I'll do whatever I like."

"No, you won't."

Spike glanced at Shin who nodded and he in turn made a sign that had Horatio and Tristan who stood close to the door blocked it with their bodies. Faye stopped and speared them with a look, they flinched inside but kept their ground.

"You said that you don't like to be used and I don't like it that you are. We need to think of a plan."

Faye turned, faced him and sneered.

"You're just wandering if I would kill you."

"Well, would you?"

Faye slid his eyes to Jet who watched her with serious eyes.

"The thought had crossed my mind. But like I said, I don't like to be used. The fact that I _am_ being used doesn't mean dick. If I wanted to kill you, I would've already done it, it's not like I was short of chances."

"You didn't have the right incentive then."

She stared right at him, her eyes bright and angry.

"Didn't I?"

The word was filled with unvoiced insinuations.

"Faye, we should figure out some sort of plan." Jet said and moved closer to her.

Faye turned her back on him, all of them and faced the door. Jet winced at the implication. Only a woman can say 'go, fuck yourself' with one look, one gesture.

"Fine. But not now."

Jet sighed and turned to Spike who joined them at the entrance.

"Spike, let her go for now."

But Spike didn't spare even a glance for Jet, he reached for her, needing desperately to see her face.

It was a bad decision on his part.

Like a cat she struck; fast and precise. Ruthless. It was only Spike's fast reflexes that saved him from near decapitation. He took two hurried steps back and didn't feel the sting before the cut on his face let out blood.

"Don't touch me." Her eyes were fierce but her tone was low, restrained.

Spike didn't knew why he was surprised, he knew she was capable of it, he knew there was a chance that she could. But, as the blood slid down his right cheek, he still felt betrayed, and the slow sick twisting feeling of it was still a bitter pill to swallow. He kept his eyes on her as he wiped the blood from his cheeks.

Everybody was in a state of shock but at the sight of Spike's blood, they reacted. Jet moved in front of Faye to protect her from the swarm of syndicates that surrounded them.

"Everybody back." Ordered Spike and a narrow space formed to let him walk through to Jet and Faye.

"I'm going to give you this, Faye. But only this once." He held out his bloody hand in front of him.

Faye walked around Jet and stood in front of him.

"Then let me the fuck out."

Spike's face hardened.

"I'm not going to let you out before we handle this problem."

"You don't want to force this."

The smile on Spike's face was cool and sharp and not a little mean.

"Oh, but I do."

Faye struck again, the glint of the knife bright in the sunlight but Spike was ready this time. He moved and the knife sailed in front of him to hit a wall just above Casey's head. Casey looked at it then moved away.

"I told you. You only get one freebie."

Faye narrowed her eyes.

"Then I'll just have towork for it."

Her fist was fast and strong but Spike blocked it and turned to lock her hands behind her back, but she slithered like an eel against him and turned to lock his hands behind _his_ back. He countered with a vicious kick to her right knee that would pop the joint but she broke their locked hands and swiped his left ankle with her left foot. He faked a loss of balance but bounce back on the balls of his feet with a sharp right hook that she avoid, drew herself beside him and used her momentum to push her elbow to the nape of his neck. He turned and blocked her elbow and threw her arms wide that made her lost her balance, went low and swiped her feet. She did a back flip, got her feet steady under her and let out a kick to the kidneys that can drop a man in seconds. Spike sidestepped and pushed his shoulders against her that she lost her balance again but she grabbed the front of his shirt and as she dropped on her back, used her momentum to throw him with her leg, but he shifted his body weight and only flipped himself up.

Faye kept their fight up close and personal that made Spike's height and length an advantage but also a hindrance. His feet was too long that he rarely can kick, and his Jeet Kun Do style was mostly made out of kicks.

Faye was always a fast and slippery opponent. Everytime he thought he had her in a hold, she danced out of the way. He forgot about that, forgot the frustration that he felt that resulted from the few times they ever sparred.

She learnt some new tricks, her style was as fluid as his, as precise. Her execution of it was ruthless and fierce. Spike knew that he would win eventually, through stamina and the fact that she was emotional. Her actions were laced with anger and spite. He didn't blame her for it, she was entitled. But though she was letting her anger ride her, it didn't mean that she was careless and that she was not doing her best to break his neck.

Spike grunted as her fist slipped through his defenses and hit his ribs, he countered that with an elbow that she blocked but stung her hands. She felt it hit her like a ton of bricks. Spike was langky and at the thin side, but that didn't mean that he was weak. His muscles were there, and living in the syndicate made him sharper, more vigilant and intuitive. His body moved without him telling him when to move, how to move. She pressed on and saw him widened his eyes in surprised at the velocity of her movement.

Jet looked on in awe and surprised at the skill and precision on which Faye counter attacked all of Spike's moves. Jet knew that she was better than the average fighter, but he didn't that know she was this good.

Spike was an exceptional martial artist, he held on fast to the ways and style of martial arts, but Jet detected an almost similiar kind of style from Faye, he didn't recognized it since martial arts, like all other things from Earth, faded with time. Jet figured that maybe Faye learnt something before her accident. For a moment there, he forgot his tension and can only admire them both. Even the bodyguards were engrossed in the fight.

Jet raised his eyebrows when Faye used Spike's bent leg to lift her up and tried to hit his head with her knee. Spike blocked and took a step back, rolling his right shoulder that he used to blocked it with. Jet thought he saw him winced and only that stopped him from applauding. Spike lifted a hand to his still bleeding cheek and sneered at her.

"Okay, foreplay is over."

Faye's eyes flashed.

Both of them dropped to a martial arts stance.


	36. Broken Words

**Author notes**: Are you guys still waiting for me to get off my ass and start finishing this story? Well, you're in luck. I'm in the right mood. Anyway, I'm changing this chapter because, yes, some of you out there are right, Spike does sound like stupid shmuck here. Shmuck I can handle, but stupid? So, I changed the story…thanks for waiting.

She's the one who saw my words

Broken, torn at the seams

And broken words were all she heard

Now she's walking away from me

Some never meant

And some meant well

The difference between us is so

Hard to tell

Broken Words by Finger Eleven

Spike observed Faye's stance and found it solid, familiar, and strong. He vaguely heard Jet say something but it both of them were focus mostly on each other.

Faye's green eyes were blank of all emotion yet intense. She was in her fighting mode, he'd seen her in a gun fight, or handle a ship and know that he could trust her to watch his back when things comes to shove. But he rarely had the opportunity to watch her in hand to hand combat. They've spar a couple of times but mostly they were just jerking around, filling time till lunch time.

Deep in thought, he almost missed the quick glint of something that passed inches from his ear with a silent hiss. He blinked then looked behind him, watched as Nathaniel and Tony ducked for cover.

Jet grinned at the look on their faces.

Spike turned and looked back at Faye with a look that questioned Faye's sanity. Faye was standing with her left hand on her waist, hips cocked to the right. She was looking at her nails.

"You weren't paying attention."

"So like a woman to cheat with concealed weapons." He snarled at her.

"Weak dogs bark the loudest, Spike."

Faye didn't bother with a stance when Spike glided the distance that separated the both of them and when his hands reached for the front of her shirt, she held on and twisted. His hands slid against hers and twisted back, they passed each other in one graceful move. They turned and faced each other, both of their faces mirrored surprise and annoyance.

"Guess old dogs can learn new tricks." Faye commented.

"Funny, I was about to say the same thing."

Faye's feet shot to his head even before he finished the sentence, he caught her feet and pushed forward, she threw her hands backwards and did a back flip. When she landed, she dropped low and swiped his legs, he jumped already guessing her next move but wobbled to sidestep her when she already pulled herself up and got in front of him in one move. When he avoided her sharp right elbow to his chin, she turned and followed his movement to nail her left elbow to his neck. Spike took one step forward, to disrupt her momentum, grasped her wrist, hooked her ankle, totally screwing with her balance. He pulled at her left wrist that made her fall on her back to the floor. He looked down at her and smirked.

"That was a good move. I'm proud of you, Faye."

Faye twisted Spike's hand that was holding onto her wrist that made him winced in pain, he dropped to his knees beside her to reduce the pressure of her hands as she lifted herself up.

"Imagine what that means to me." She pulled at his hands that made him bend low at the waist to minimized the pressure.

Faye jolted when Jet entered her line of sight and Spike used it to kick her shinbone and freed his hands. Faye cursed, rubbed her shin and aimed a fierce look to Jet who shrugged but she felt better when she saw Spike was also rubbing his arm, moving it this way and that, checking for damages.

"Christ, Faye. What were you trying to do? Break my arm?"

"For starters."

They circled each other.

"Look, I was young, gullible, stupid. He was an assignment." Guilt made him glib.

"An assignment, you make it sound like an excuse. Besides, stupid I can believe. Gullible? I don't think so."

"I killed him before I met you. That counts for something, right?"

"You killed him without even knowing his name."

"What difference does it make? Would it be better if I did?"

"Yes. I would've forgiven you if it was personal, but it wasn't. It was an assignment." She said the last word like a curse.

"Come on, Faye. Be reasonable. How would I know he meant something to you? I didn't even knew you existed back then. Surely that omitted any blame on my part." Spike was very close to whining.

Faye finally stopped and raised her eyes slowly, her body still and silent. Her eyes were no longer blank but filled with everything she had felt since his reappearance in her life.

"Blame." She repeated the word like it was said in a foreign tongue. "This is not about deciding who to blame, Spike. This is about you, showing up in my life with all your soldiers and your new found power like you have a right without even the decency to pretend that I have any say in it. Then you proceeded to pick on every semblance of my life, marking everything with your grubby little hands. Judging how I live my life, even caging me on this planet, belittling all of my skills, and my hard earned freedom all in the name of my safety. And then you stand here in your big office, telling me that you've murdered the first person that ever treated me like a real person, the closest thing I ever had to a family then even had the gall to deprive me of a chance to take it all in and grieve? Is there no end to your attempts to fuck up my life?"

"Faye." Jet stopped when her eyes shifted to his. There was no anger this time, only hurt and a glassy sheen of tears.

"I just want you safe." Spike's voice was quiet as he lowered his guard. She tossed her head in one arrogant move and looked even more beautiful doing it.

"Safe? I was safe when I was on Bebop years ago, I was safe even when I was traipsing along the universe, alone. Maybe this hasn't gone through that thick skull of yours. But I can take care of myself. I'm better off alone. Always have and always will."

Spike sat on the corner of his desk, every muscle on his body relaxed. Poised and comfortable, he lit up a cigarette as though there wasn't a pissed off woman glaring at him like she wanted to burn him till all that was left of him was ashes, with his own lighter no less. "I know you can take care of yourself, Faye. It's one of the things that I like about you." He blew a puff smoke and watched the surprise came and went in her eyes. "You've never been the damsel in distress type, though trouble always seemed to follow you around."

Faye shrugged, nothing takes the wind from your sails like being ignored. Facing his disinterest and calm demeanor, her anger felt superfluous. "It's a talent."

Spike's lips quirked upwards. "Now since I've fought you, I'm assured that you can take on as many people as you want."

Confusion changed into speculation then into suspicion. It glinted in the depths of her eyes. "I sense a 'but' in this conversation."

"Sit down, Faye."

Even as he walked around his desk to sit on his chair, he saw her shifted her magnificent eyes to Jet who, in return lifted his shoulders. "Just tell me the problem."

"If it was only the matter of you taking care of yourself, I would've let you out of here even before you asked. But it's not."

Faye's smooth brow, wrinkled. "What do you mean?"

"You're right."

This time, her brows lifted. "Not that I want to argue, but what am I right about?"

"That it was better if you were left alone."

Faye blinked. "Well."

Perversely, she was suddenly peeved that Spike agreed with her and that made her ran out of ammo. When their eyes met, Faye knew that Spike was thinking something along the same line of her thoughts, and to have him read her so well grated on her nerves. "Why?"

A finger tapped lightly on his cigarette, getting rid of the ashes, "I'm surprised that you haven't connected the dots, Faye. At the very least it would give you another excuse to kick my ass. And I won't even blame you for it."

Since that appealed to her, she tried to figure out what the hell he was talking about. Faye lifted his eyebrows to Jet who intentionally shifted his eyes away from her, so she folded her arms and tapped her foot loudly, indicating that she was waiting.

"The tape was from the Alligierri's, they sent it to you. Maybe to tell you that they know that you knew him, maybe to tell you that they also knew him, that the both of you have something in common. Maybe they wanted to know what you were going to do with the chip."

When Faye started to tap her foot again, Spike continued. "They wanted to know whether I would keep it to myself or take it to you. Well, that's moot now, isn't it?"

Spike lifted his eyes, his rugged face filmed by smoke. Hard, rough and serious. "The chip was a test."

"I told you. I don't like being used. If I wanted to kill you, I'll do it because I want to, not because some chick wants me, too."

Spike nodded. "I'm still alive and they would ask why."

"Will you stop talking in riddles and just tell me what the fuck is going on?"

Even as the question hung in the air, Spike saw the realization dawned in her face.

"They will probably think that you were in on it. That we already knew each other back then and you were in on the plan. That's why you were there, that's why we worked with each other in Bebop, that's why I searched for you. That's why you are here now."

Faye slipped down onto her chair then closed her eyes, it all seemed so clear to her now.

"They're going to go after you now."

Faye took a deep breath and covered her eyes with a tapered hand. "Great. Just great. Just another way for you to fuck up my life. Huh, Spike?"

Spike's smile was wry and self mocking, yet congratulatory. "Told you it would give you an excuse to be pissed at me."

At The Hotel

Faye hummed along to the mournful voice that slipped out of the radio, somehow the words wound through her heart and stayed.

The clink of ice against crystal disturbed Faye's reverie. She couldn't sleep and there was nothing that interested her on the screen. Even food didn't manage to tempt any enthusiasm from her.

So as a last result, she turned to alcohol. The whiskey burned through her throat and snuggled warmly in her stomach like it always does and somehow, the fact that some aspect of her life is still predictable, gave her comfort.

Her life had seldom been predictable or comfortable but lately it has veered out of control even more than usual. It only happened twice before and both times it was because of…

Faye smacked her lips and reached for the almost empty decanter, the rapidly cooling water sloshed towards the edge of the bathtub as she groped for the bottle with half blind eyes.

Goosebumps trailed over her skin and she turned the old fashion tap with her right foot, releasing more hot water into the tub to replace the tepid water. When the water turned hot, scalding even, she turned it off and sighed as the heat stung her reddening skin.

She touched the cool whiskey glass to her damp forehead, admiring the way candle light shifted in and out of the crystal and the amber liquid inside it.

For the hundredth time that night, Faye lifted a silent toast for a man that she once loved with all her heart and still did, with all of what's left of it.

When her private detail turned on the surveillance, all they can hear was silence in its rarest of forms.

Loud, deafening silence, filled with unsaid words and endless tears.

Next on At The Point:

"What do you mean she's gone? How the fuck did she got out of the hotel without you knowing?" Spike lashed out.

Shin stepped forward. "She was seen in the corner of the hotel grounds getting in an Aligierri marked limo."

Jet ran his fingers on his balding head. "What the fuck is she trying to do? Suicide?"

Spike wrinkling brow cleared and chuckled. The sound was bitter and sharp. "I should've known. It's just like her to do this. I should've known."

"What do you mean?"

Spike gritted his teeth. "She's making a deal."


	37. Chapter 37

A thousand years, a thousand more

A thousand time, a million doors to eternity

I may have live a thousand lives

A thousand times

An endless turning stairway climbs

To a tower of souls

If it takes another thousand years

A thousand wars

The towers rise to numberless floors in space

I could shed another million tears, a million breathes

A million names but only one truth to face

A Thousand Years by Sting

For Spike, regret is one of the most useless emotions of all, it was up there at the top, right next to guilt and remorse.

But thinking that doesn't mean that he was immune against it.

Those three emotions can slide into a man unnoticed until he found himself in an empty room, drinking himself into oblivion. Like a vampire, it creeps from whatever it was hiding as soon as the sun came down, and like a vampire, it can suck a man dry.

Spike tossed his tie and unbuttoned his shirt. He needed to breathe, he needed to get drunk and pass out, he needed to kick the shit out of something, he needed to…he needed…Faye.

He slumped on a couch in front of a gigantic window and watched thunderbolts slashed across the midnight sky. The night was angry and vengeful. Working its will, rain poured with such force that raindrops fell like sharp needles on the skin.

He rolled his glass of whiskey in his hands and succumbed to the bitter storm in him, smiled when he heard the low cracking sound of thunder, the weather suited his mood to a T.

He cursed when the whiskey burned his throat, but still, comfort eluded him.

"Faye messes me up." Spike covered his eyes and remembered one night where everything felt right, where everything felt perfect. Was perfect.

Then the real world caught up with them.

"She turns everything inside out. Always, without fail."

Knew that his cover was blown, Shin stepped out of the shadows where he'd been watching his leader for the last few minutes. "Isn't that the reason why you like her?"

Spike poured himself another round. "Like is such simple word."

And nothing is ever simple with Faye.

"She took the news better than I expected."

The edges of Spike's eyes crinkled as he grinned. "What did you expect? She takes out her gun and shoots me between the eyes?"

"Something like that. Didn't you?"

"I try never to have any expectations about her, that way she'll never catch me off guard."

But she always does, every time, without trying.

"Figures, from so many people in the world, I just had to kill somebody that she knew."

He couldn't get her expression out of his mind. Her expression when she talked about Rain Alhasa; soft, loving and happy. Her expression when he told her what he did; angry, hate, hurt and pained.

Always, there was always someone between them. Ghosts that set them against each other.

He closed his eyes and sighed as darkness gently beckons. Sleep, his favorite past time came rarely these last few years. Too many faces, too many memories, too many shadows and secrets seem to invade his dreams and made his nights too long, too dark and too silent.

He missed the slow creaking sign of the overhead fan, the clunking of the old pipes, Jet's snores and Ed's insane cackles. He missed living in Bebop. He missed the noise, the rush, and the feeling that everything was just slightly beyond his control. He even missed the ugly yellow couch that smelled like a strange blend of cigarettes, leather, Jet's bell and peppers, nail polish and dog.

He missed staying awake to the cranky rumblings of the Bebop's machine and he particularly missed the way all of them fought over hot water, though Ed and Ein only got into the fight because every one else was doing it.

He didn't regret going away, he did what he had to do. He only regretted his way of doing it. He should've handled it better. Should've handled _her_ better.

Shoulda, woulda, coulda.

After that small voice in his head drowned him in cliché's, he chose to drown that voice with whiskey. He knew he'd regret it tomorrow when he'd probably wake up with a headache the size of Jupiter, but tonight, he couldn't bring himself to care.

Whatever he dreamt, he didn't remember, but it tasted bitter and scented with a strange blend of gunpowder and flowers.

He snarled when Shin lifted an eyebrow at him. His head ached like hell and the light was busting his eyeballs. Even the dark shades over his eyes can't seem to dilute the blazing fury of the summer sun.

"Yes, I have a hangover. Yes, I'm in a pissy mood. Yes, this is the kind of face that I want to wear around all day. What of it?"

Shin lips twitched but nonetheless maintained his expression. "I have no problem with your face, Spike. Have I ever told you otherwise?"

Spike grumbled and sulked, slumping all the while on his throne-like chair. He looked like a grumpy child that missed his nap. "Just in case you want to nag like Caro."

Shin placed several papers in front of him. "Sign these."

Not caring what it was, Spike scribbled his name on the numerous papers.

"When are you meeting Faye again?"

Spike's hand stilled a few seconds but started to move again. "Jet said to give her time."

"Do you think that's wise?"

A smile flirted over his face. "Do you mean do I think it's wise to give her time that she'll probably use to plan my slow and painful demise?"

Shin blinked slowly, his version of a shrug.

"Well, at the very least, Faye's pretty predictable in this kind of situation. She'll either find that it's in her best interest to cooperate with me and continue to make my life a living hell in the process or she'll try to kill me."

"Try to kill you." Shin repeated blandly. "And you have no problem with that?"

Spike shrugged and grinned his trademark devil may care smile. "What's a little murder between friends?"

"Or-"

Shin and Spike shifted to the door and saw Jet standing with a grim face, his mouth stretched into a tight line. "-she'll find a way to ditch your dogs and disappear."

Both leader and soldier opened their mouths at the same time but while Shin's voice was as bland and calm as ever, Spike growled the question. "What?"

Jet stood across them, tall and dark. His golden hand glinted in the ever bright sunlight. "She's gone."

A flurry of movement burst into Spike's office but stopped when Jet turned, fangs bared, he wasn't given the nickname Black Dog for nothing.

"Well?" He barked towards Faye's private detail.

"She was seen-," Tristan stopped, licked his lips nervously and sent a glance towards his leader who was looking at him with a focus that was as unnerving as it was scary.

"Spit it out."

Tristan's eyes came back to Jet. "-entering a black limo owned by the Family."

For a second, all of them were quiet, but it was Jet who broke silence first, running a hand on his balding head. "What the fuck is she trying to do? Suicide?"

"How did she get out without you knowing?" Shin blasted them with a cold look from his eyes. But all eyes swerved to Spike when they heard a chuckle. The sound was bitter and sharp. "I should've known. It's just like her to do this. I should've known. Stupid, God, she makes e fuckin' stupid."

The wrinkled on Jet's brow deepen. "What do you mean?"

Spike turned his seat and shifted his eyes out the window. "She's trying to make a deal."

"What do you mean?"

Spike turned slowly towards them, eerily silent. "Well, consider her choices. It's either she run but that's not such a good idea since they'll hunt her down anyway. She can kill me, but that's a no go either since all the good that will bring her is a syndicate to go with the mob. Then there's the third option which she probably didn't even entertain more than a few seconds, which is to stay here under my protection for all eternity."

Jet blinked and rubbed a hand on his face, weariness was etched into his face. "Fuck."

Spike turned back towards the window. "Fuck is right."

Shin stared at his leader and at Jet who looked to be lost in thought. Always a soldier, he stepped forward ignoring the weird aura around Spike that discouraged conversation. "Spike."

"No."

The refusal was clear, concise and brook no argument. But he was no mere soldier, he was second in line and that meant that he was also obligated to bring such matters into notice. "Your choices are clear."

Spike didn't turn around completely, they can only see the outline of his face which was enough. Whatever Shin was trying to say, Spike certainly didn't want to do it. "I said no."

"The rules are there for a reason."

Spike stood and whirled around at Shin. "Fuck the rules. I am not going to-"

Shin took a step forward, proving that he was a brave, brave man indeed. "Then as your second in command I will."

Spike's tawny eyes narrowed at the tall man, his lanky body tensed for violence. "No, you will not. I am your leader.."

"Then act like it."

Jet heard the sucked in breaths, saw the shock on Faye's bodyguard's face and concluded that this was not an ordinary occurrence.

"Yes, you are the leader. You are not a bounty hunter anymore who is free to do as he pleases. You are our leader, the head of a syndicate that has been running for almost a century. You are bound to us as we are to you and with that position there are certain obligations and sacrifices that you will have to make."

Jet saw the expression on Spike's face and felt a bad feeling about all this. "What are you guys talking about?"

"Either you do it or I will."

Spike knew he was fighting a losing battle, knew that Shin meant every word he said and although the relationship between the is more than the typical bond between a leader and his subordinate, Shin is a soldier first and foremost and he will always think of the syndicate before everything else.

His eyes shifted to Jet who was looking at the both of them. "Spike, what is it?"

Looking back at Shin, he smiled bitterly. "Obligations and sacrifices, huh?"

"It is the rules."

Emerald eyes wavered in his mind and he pleaded silently. "You can't ask that of me."

Shin's face was empty, devoid of emotion. "I just did."

Jet glared at the both of them, feeling a little tired of being ignored. "Will somebody please tell me what's going on?"

Spike opened his mouth, his lips moving slightly before it closed again without a sound.

"This is your last chance."

Spike lifted his eyes to Shin, the light in his eyes determined. Shin kept his eyes on Spike before nodding. "So be it." He slanted cool black eyes towards the others. "Because Spike Spiegal refused to obey our rules he is to be stripped of his title and power until further noticed. I am to take command in his place and my first order is…"

All activity in the room slowed to a stop as the familiar click of a gun's safety echoed around the room. A gun aimed at his head, Shin turned slowly and met the eyes of his leader. "What are you doing, Spike?"

"What the fuck is going on?" Jet already had his own gun out but was confused about who he should be pointing it at exactly. When several other guns pointed at Spike, he philosophically chose the underdog and aimed his gun at Shin. Tristan and Casey pivoted and aimed their guns at him. He saw it and sneered. "And here I thought we were starting to get along."

Spike didn't even flicker an eyelash. "I can't let you do it."

"It will be done Spike, unless you plan on doing another reckless misadventure and wipe out enough of us in the process."

Spike shrugged. "Why not? I've done it before."

"Because there's no point in doing it."

"Since when do I need to have a point for doing stuff?"

"He's got a point. Pardon the pun, believe me, he did some stupid stuff back in the days." Jet joined in the conversation as if they didn't have guns pointed at each other's heads. He suddenly had the sneakiest sensation that they were all stark raving mad.

"You always have a reason for doing the things you do, Spike, whether it's clear to anybody else or not. Now, what good will come out of you shooting me?"

"Other than how fun it will be to see you show emotion for once in your life?"

Jet rolled his eyes, pointed his gun up then let it swing on his trigger finger. "Ah, fuck it. Put it down boys, false alarm."

Spike swung his hand down and clicked the safety back, putting the gun on his table. "I had to try."

"I understand."

Jet and the others blink when they saw Shin put his gun back in his holster, they hadn't realize that he was holding a gun; they didn't even catch him getting it out. All of them had a similar scowl on their faces as they holstered their weapons.

Spike rubbed a hand on his face. "You won't change your mind?"

"No."

He lowered himself to his chair and proceeded to ignore all of them while Shin lifted his eyes, paused, then continued. "Following our rules, from now on I declare Faye Valentine an enemy of the Red Dragon Syndicate."

Shocked silence filled the room, silence that was broken by Caro's energetic, flamboyant entrance, his cherubic face bright with smiles as he beamed at them.

He watched their faces and felt the weird vibrations in the air then pursed his pink lips. "I missed something, didn't I?" The thirty seven year old man pouted. "I always miss out on the fun."

Used to Caro's unorthodox methods, Shin merely stared. "What is it, Caro?"

"Oh, it's a message for Mr Black from Miss Valentine." Pleased because all eyes immediately shifted towards him, Caro preened under all the attention. "She said that she's alright, don't worry and she's also going to be late so don't wait up. Take care of Ed and Ein and kisses for Spike and his troops."

Caro jumped when Spike kicked one of the glass windows, the thick bullet proof glass trembled in its frame.

Unfazed by Spike's tantrum, Shin nodded. "Thank you, Caro. "

Caro pouted when he exited Spike's office. "I definitely missed something."

----------

Next on At the Point:

Faye pivoted on high heels and rammed her elbow to the man's nose. Blood squirted from the broken cartilage but he kept coming at her. She snarled and brought the heel of her hand to said nose and jerked it upwards, when the man let out a muffled exclamation of pain and bent over, she lifted her knee, snapping his chin. He dropped, unconscious on the street. Stiletto points appeared between her fingers when someone took hold of her hair, blood gushed out from those hands and long smooth legs swept up to lodge a sharp heel on a throat.

"_Never_ touch the hair."

An arm appeared from her back in a classic chokehold but she twisted, grasped the arm, pressed her back towards her attacker, pulled and twisted her body, slamming him onto the hard concrete. She straightened, flipped her hair and smoothed the dress along her hips. Her eyes snapped towards her right hand and cursed. "Damn it. I chipped a nail."

A slow and appreciative clap came from behind the tinted windows of a white limo as it slid to a stop beside her. A beautiful exotic face appeared from behind the passenger seat window, smiling, showing off her pearly white teeth. "I think we can take care of that." A driver in full uniform opened the door and the woman dropped her feet on the sidewalk and stood in one graceful motion that Faye can't help but admire.

The woman held out a white pampered hand. "Marlena Alligieri. I believe we have unfinished business to attend to."


End file.
